History

Our story

Western Suburbs Rugby Union Club, known as ‘Wests’, was formed in the 1930s and won its first premiership in 1932. The club folded during World War II and was re-formed in 1950, largely through the efforts of inaugural secretary Joe Lord and 1932 premiership player John Poor.

In 2000 the club became Wests Subiaco, a name more in keeping with its home ground. In 2013 Wests moved to new grounds and clubrooms at Bennett Park in Doubleview, and the name Wests Scarborough Rugby Union Club Inc. was chosen to reflect the new home.

Formative years

From 1974 to 1977 Wests won four consecutive premierships, and club championship flags followed in 1968, 1969, 1971 and from 1973 to 1976. Don Hardwick toured Ceylon with the Australian Colts in 1953, and Bob Thompson was a Wallaby tourist to New Zealand and France in 1972. Around eighty Wests players have worn the black and gold of WA’s senior state sides, with many more at age-group level.

Wests invested early in schoolboys and colts, with dedicated members finding and coaching new talent. An influx of new members, many of them recent arrivals to Australia, brought new ideas that shaped the club. Many of those schoolboys, colts and newcomers are still members today and remain part of the club’s culture.

The 2000s and beyond

The new millennium brought a change in fortunes. In 2002 five Wests teams made the finals and 1st Grade won the minor premiership. In 2003 1st Grade won both the minor and major premierships, and Wests went on to dominate the competition, winning four premierships in a row from 2003 to 2006.

Since moving to Bennett Park, Wests has won Premier Grade premierships in 2016, 2017 and 2022. The 2022 Grand Final was a 45–37 win over minor premiers UWA, capping an eight-game winning streak, and Wests made the Grand Final again in 2023, narrowly losing 25–23 to Palmyra. See the full list on our Life Members and Honours page.

Our teams today

Wests fields senior teams in the RugbyWA competitions: the Warriors (senior women), Premier Grade, Colts (U20s), Reserve Grade and Third Grade, plus the Old Boars, our touring veterans side. Our junior club runs from U6 to U18, for boys and girls.

Juniors

Wests was one of the first junior rugby clubs in Western Australia and has been a force in the junior competition for more than 40 years, serving families across Doubleview, Scarborough and the surrounding suburbs. In the days when many senior clubs had no juniors of their own, other clubs sent their sons to Wests to learn the game. The coaches, many of whom also served as president, secretary or registrar, have been the backbone of the junior club, and Wests continues to produce state, national and Western Force pathway players.

Women’s rugby

A Western Suburbs women’s team was formed in 1997 and played in the WA women’s competition, with several players making the state team, before folding in 2008.

Women’s rugby is now one of the strongest parts of the club. Our senior women’s side, the Warriors, reached back-to-back Premier Grade Grand Finals in 2025 and 2026, and our U17 girls won their competition in 2026. Wests players also represent WA in the Super W competition.

Grounds and clubrooms

From the early 1950s Wests played at Rosalie Park. Before 1972 the clubrooms were members’ houses, pubs on the way home from games, and later an upstairs room at the Shenton Park hotel and a hired room in Townshend Road. In 1972 Wests moved into the old RSL Hall in Onslow Road and became, as far as is known, the first club in the metropolitan competition to own its clubrooms. In 1978 the club moved to the Subiaco Bowling Club premises, and in 1992 new shared clubrooms were built at Rosalie Park under the Rosalie Sporting Association.

In 2013 Wests moved to Bennett Park, Doubleview, on the Doubleview and Scarborough border in the City of Stirling. Bennett Park has two full-sized, floodlit pitches, so all senior games can be played at the same ground on the same day.

The people behind the club

Throughout the club’s history, mothers, wives, partners and friends have served on committees, organised events and functions, run the canteen and supported every team. Their contribution is a huge part of Wests, and Ladies Day remains one of the biggest days on the club calendar.

Wests’ club song is on the Club Song page.