Haylett-Petty Stays at the Force
The tall forward, who is comfortable at both lock and No.8 made his Super Rugby debut in 2015 – coming off the bench against the Stormers – in his first of two appearances for the season.
His maiden Super Rugby season followed in the wake of a number of standout performances for the Australian Under-20 squad in the 2014 Junior World Championships in New Zealand.
He then had several strong performances for the Perth Spirit in last year’s Rugby Championship, as well as helping guide Cottesloe to a grand final appearance in the 2014.
The Hale School graduate’s re-signing follows after teammates Francois van Wyk, Marcel Brache, Brynard Stander and Luke Morahan all recommitted to the club in the past fortnight.
Haylett-Petty joins his brother and fullback Dane in staying at the Force till the end of the 2017 season.
"It feels great to be back on board for the next two years and it’s good to know that the club sees me as being part of its future," Haylett-Petty.
"Personally, this is the club I want to be at and, to be honest, there’s no other club I wanted to play for.
"It’s great to get that confirmation that the Force has faith in me and that I’m proceeding in the right direction.
"I learnt a lot in my first season with the Force. I know there’s still a lot of my game I need to work on and the guys here are fantastic to give you that guidance."
After finishing school and having represented the WA Schoolboys in 2010 and 2011, Haylett-Petty spent 18 months away from the game – studying a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Western Australia.
However, a return to play with Cottesloe at the end of the 2013 season, saw him propelled into the WA U20 the following season.
He was then selected for the Australian U20 side where he started in every match at the Junior World Championship.
"There was a point where I didn’t think making it through the Force was possible," the forward said.
"However, when I made it through to the [Australian] U20, I saw how I could match it against some of the best players in my age group and there was the realisation that if I put in the hard work anything would be possible.
"To get that first taste of Super Rugby this season was amazing – it’s really addictive and once you get one game, it only makes you want to work harder to get another one."
Haylett-Petty says he’s very pleased to be staying at the Force with his brother.
"I want to stay in Perth – my whole life is here, including my family and friends," he said.
"It’s fantastic playing with Dane. He’s someone that’s willing to teach me a lot and he’s very honest in providing feedback on how I’m playing and training.
"He’s been an awesome influence on my rugby so far."
Western Force coach Michael Foley says Haylett-Petty is a hardworking lock/loose forward who will be pushing hard for further representation in the Force starting 15 during 2016.
"Ross is a local junior, who played Australian U20 as a No.8, but has the physicality to also play at lock," he said.
