| Rugby union in Western Australia | |
|---|---|
 Western Force play the Brumbies at Subiaco in 2006. | |
| Governing body | RugbyWA |
| State team | Western Force |
| First played | 1868, Perth, Western Australia |
| Registered players | 12,550 (2022)[1] |
Club competitions | |
Audience records | |
| Single match | 61,241 (2019) Bledisloe Cup, Australia v New Zealand |
Rugby union in Western Australia describes the sport of rugby union being played and watched in the state of Western Australia. First introduced some time in 1868 it was the most popular football code until it was overtaken by Australian rules there in 1885. After a period of decline and recess between 1905 and 1927 it grew throughout the 20th century. The governing body is the Western Australia Rugby Union (RugbyWA).
Rugby clubs are centred on the metropolitan Perth and Fremantle, the game is uncommon elsewhere. Despite being the second most popular code with spectators, rugby has the distinction of holding the record attendance of any football code in the state, with 61,241 attending the Bledisloe Cup at Optus Stadium in 2019.
Western Australia is the home of the Western Force, a franchise in the Super Rugby competition since 2006. Their home ground is NIB Stadium, which has a capacity of 20,500 spectators. The development team is the Perth Spirit, which has competed in the Australian Rugby Championship in 2007 and the National Rugby Championship since 2014.