After two years playing for the ACT Brumbies women, and a stellar season as co-coach of the Goulburn Dirty Reds women's team, which went undefeated in 2019, Ash Mewburn's career took another significant step forward recently.
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The Goulburn local was awarded a scholarship which secured for her a position on the Brumbies Super W coaching staff. She described the appointment, which was announced by the Brumbies in November, as "very, very exciting".
"I'm a part of the attack with the backs, and I'm working very closely with the head coach, Adam Butt," Mewburn said.
"Being a former player of the Super W team, he wants to use all my knowledge and skills from that level, and [we're] seeing what we can come up with to surprise a few teams in the Super W moving forward."
Along with her role on the senior team, Mewburn is also the assistant coach for the Youth Brumbies Girl's Sevens team, which played in Brisbane over the weekend.
Though Mewburn is relatively new to coaching senior teams, she got off to an excellent start in 2019.
As a co-coach of the Goulburn Dirty Reds women in their inaugural season, alongside Rob Sheekey, Mewburn oversaw an undefeated season which ended with her side raising the premiership trophy after a 34-17 win in the grand final over the Gungahlin Eagles.
"It was imperative [experience]," Mewburn said.
"It's always so important for growth and bringing everything that I'm learning [to the Brumbies]."
On the other side of that coin, Mewburn is eager to bring her upcoming experience from the Brumbies to the Dirty Reds in their 2020 season.
"I've got a full Sevens program that I can bring back to Goulburn now," she said.
"At the end of this Super W season, I'll have a professional women's 15s program that I can bring back to the club.
"For the 2020 season, Goulburn Dirty Reds women will be putting in a 15s team in the ACT tournament, so it's very important."
Though Mewburn is eager to tackle her new role with the Brumbies, her true passion lies with developing women's rugby with the Dirty Reds.
The recent steps forward taken by the club, particularly with the growth of the women's game in Goulburn, have been "huge", Mewburn said, and she credited the team's success to the passion of the players.
"I couldn't be more proud of the girls.
"[My coaching has played a role], but it's them turning up, them being willing to participate, them listening and learning, and being very coachable girls."
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