The Western Force have gone all-in on coach Simon Cron, handing him a two-year contract extension that ties him to the Super Rugby Pacific club until 2026.
The Force narrowly missed out on a finals berth last year in Cron's first season in charge after compiling a 5-9 record.
Wallabies duo Nic White and Ben Donaldson have since moved to the Force to work under Cron, and hopes are high the Perth-based franchise will snare a finals berth this year.
The contract extension handed to Cron on the eve of the 2024 campaign shows the Force's huge faith in the 48-year-old Kiwi.
It also comes a week after Niamh O’Connor was officially confirmed as the club's permanent chief executive, after holding the interim role over the previous four months.
Cron, who was previously the head coach of Japanese club Toyota Verblitz and also served as an assistant coach at the NSW Waratahs from 2017-19, said he had no hesitation about recommitting to the Force.
“If you look at the players who take to the field every week, they excite us as coaches,” Cron said in a statement.
“We love the personalities, we love their drive to succeed, we love seeing them every day on field, pushing each other for success.
“We believe we’ve got the core of something special growing here. That’s what’s excited me about staying here.”
O’Connor was bullish about what was to come for the Force under Cron's leadership.
“Since his arrival in Perth 18 months ago, Simon and his coaching team have worked hard to put the foundation pieces in place for long-term success for the Force,” she said.
“That doesn’t happen overnight, but the trajectory of the team under Simon is exciting, and while we didn’t make the finals last year, we saw glimpses of the project building and evolving.
"That’s only been enhanced during the off-season by our recruitment and player buy-in."
The Force's season begins with a home match against the Hurricanes on February 23.
