Cootamundra-raised Ashe has blazed a trail in women’s rugby since moving to Victoria to pursue a career in the police force and has found herself leading the way both on and off the field. 

“I was the first women to ever play for the Vikings rugby club men’s touch football side at the Victoria Police and Fire games,” Ashe said.

“I was really inspired by the success of Australia’s Pearls at the Rio Olympics and rugby was a natural transition for me.”

Unsurprisingly, Ashe’s aptitude for rugby has not gone unnoticed.

She has since been selected to represent the Vikings rugby club (Victoria Police) at the upcoming 2017 World Police and Fire Games in Los Angeles and will form part of the first women’s rugby side to ever compete at the Games.

“I saw an advertisement on our police internet page and thought I’d give it a go,” Ashe said.

“We rocked up to trials and I was one who was lucky enough to be selected.

“Now we’re the first ever girls team to play sevens at the Games.”

Ashe will play alongside police officers from Victoria, South Australia and New Zealand when they take on police teams from Los Angeles Police Department, New York Police department and the FBI, to name a few.

“We’ll also be playing against a few Poms and a French team,” Ashe said.

“Thankfully there’s no team from New Zealand!”

Ashe still regularly comes home to visit family and said she’d love to get involved with the Tricollettes rugby team, though a trip to O’Connor Park to watch the Strikers is always a must.

‘I like to come down and help out with the strikers, mum and dad are still heavily involved but I’d love to have a run with the Tricollettes as well,” Ashe said.

“I just missed (Olympic medallist) Alicia Quirk by a week as well!

“But it’s great that Coota has their own team –  hopefully one day I could come down and get some extra training in.”

Ashe will be hosting a Trivia Night on June 3 at the Ex-Servicemans and Citizens Memorial Club to raise funds for flights and accommodation across to the United States.