EMIRATES WESTERN FORCE TO KICK OFF 2009 INVESTEC SUPER 14 AT HOME

Monday, 17 November 2008 5:44pm

RugbyWA

The Emirates Western Force will commence the 2009 Investec Super 14 season with back-to-back home games at Subiaco Oval.

The WA side will host the Blues in a blockbuster week one clash on Friday 13 February before the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs come to visit in week two.

Other feature fixtures in Perth include the week eight clash with the Queensland Reds on Friday 3 April and the round six match against the 2008 semi-finalist Sharks on Saturday 21 March.

For the first time, the team will host a fixture over the Easter long weekend when they clash with the Hurricanes on Good Friday (10 April).

Derbies against fellow Australian teams, the Brumbies and the Waratahs, will be played interstate in Canberra on Saturday 28 February and in Sydney on Saturday 18 April respectively.

After breaking through for a maiden victory on kiwi soil in 2008, the team is once again preparing for a tough tour of the Shaky Isles, with matches against the Chiefs in Hamilton (Friday 6 March) and the defending champion Crusaders in Christchurch (Saturday 14 March).

The team will travel to South Africa for weeks 12 and 13 before finishing the home-and-away season against the Highlanders in Perth.

The competition will retain its top-four play-off format for 2009 with the semi-finals set down for the weekend of 22 & 23 May and the final a week later on 30 May.

Click here to see the entire 2009 Investec Super 14 fixtures

EMIRATES WESTERN FORCE 2009 INVESTEC SUPER 14 SCHEDULE (All kick off times are WA time):

Round 1: vs Blues, Friday 13 February (Subiaco Oval, 7.45pm)

Round 2: vs Cheetahs, Friday 20 February (Subiaco Oval, 7.45pm).

Round 3: vs Brumbies, Saturday 28 February (Canberra, 5.40pm).

Round 4: vs Chiefs, Friday 6 March (Hamilton, 3.35pm)

Round 5: vs Crusaders, Saturday 14 March (Christchurch, 1.30pm)

Round 6: vs Sharks, Saturday 21 March (Subiaco Oval, 7.45pm)

Round 7: BYE

Round 8: vs Reds, Friday 3 April (Subiaco Oval, 7.05pm)

Round 9: vs Hurricanes, Friday 10 April (Subiaco Oval, 5.40pm)

Round 10: vs Waratahs, Saturday 18 April (Sydney, 5.40pm)