ACT Brumbies' Brooke Gilroy finds new passion as Daramalan College coach

But the Super W star has found herself a new passion as she edges closer to a playing comeback, taking her talents to coaching Daramalan College's under-18s women's team.

Gilroy admits she had no plans to attempt coaching until Daramalan teacher Marty Capon approached her at a rugby dinner. But that all changed when she suffered the shoulder injury in December.

"Never in my life thought I would coach, ever," Gilroy said.

"Until I was at a rugby dinner night for Daramalan and one of the teachers, Marty Capon, came up to me. He was like, 'Brooke we're looking at you to coach the rugby girls if you're able to.'

"At the start I didn't think I would have time because I wasn't injured then, I thought I would have my own training on."

Gilroy is only 19 years old but has an impressive rugby resume, having played in the Rugby Seven's national team and won multiple championships in Australia and Hong Kong.

The former ACT Schoolgirl believes she's gained plenty of experience to share with the next generation of female rugby players.

"I hurt my shoulder and I'm still recovering from that, but I still want to be involved in the sport and up my knowledge. So I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to coach the Daramalan girls," Gilroy said.

"I feel like I have enough knowledge to pass on to the junior girls, but I can always have more, there's always something else for me to learn."

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Gilroy felt pressure when she took on the coaching role, but says she's slowly getting used to it.

"I've put a lot of pressure on myself, everybody else was encouraging me to do it. They were like no you know what you're doing, it's ok you do what you do at training and just teach the girls," Gilroy said.

"But I put a lot of pressure on myself because I didn't know how I would go or how they would perform and everything. But each training session it gets easier and easier."

Coming from junior programs herself, Gilroy knows just how important they are for new players coming onto the rugby scene.

"I think they're really important just because everybody is new, I feel. And you're not the only one in the boat," Gilroy said.

"So it's good getting new friends, having a new sport to come and there's a lot of junior camps on through the Brumbies and everything that you can go to if you want to up your skill. But I think it's really important so you can make new friends and just enjoy the sport that you're playing."

Although her focus has shifted to coaching, Gilroy has her eyes on making a swift return from injury in September.

Meanwhile in the John I Dent Cup, the third-placed Wests will try to dethrone the ladder-leading Uni-North Owls at Jamison Oval on Saturday.

The second-placed Tuggeranong Vikings will meet the Canberra Royals at Phillip Oval, while the Gungahlin Eagles clash with cellar-dwellers Queanbeyan Whites at David Campese Oval.

ACT RUGBY ROUND SIX

John I Dent Cup - Saturday: Queanbeyan Whites v Gungahlin Eagles at David Campese Oval, 3.05pm, Canberra Royals v Tuggeranong Vikings at Phillip Oval, 3.05pm, Wests v Uni-Norths Owls at Jamison Oval, 3.15pm.

Women's Premiership - Saturday: Wests v Uni-Norths Owls at Jamison Oval, 12.25pm. Canberra Royals v Tuggeranong ViQueens at Phillip Oval, 1.40pm. Goulburn: Bye.