Grace Kemp stars in ACT Rugby City-Country clash to push for Wallaroos berth

Kemp scored two tries as City surged to a 17-0 win in torrential rain over their Country rivals at RMC's Portsea Oval on Saturday afternoon.

Kemp's outing served as a timely reminder to ACT selectors she should be in line for higher honours - if they even needed a reminder following her best afield performance in the ACT women's grand final a fortnight ago.

Because now the best of the City and Country outfits, consisting of Canberra products and those from outside the ACT respectively, will come together to face interstate rivals.

ACT Rugby has been included in the Chikarovski Cup for the first time, giving Canberra players another avenue to press their claims for a Wallaroos training camp in the capital slated for December.

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The ACT outfit will play under the guise of the Canberra Women's Presidents XVs, against Sydney Gold, Sydney Blue and NSW Country in a two-week tournament from November 7.

City front-rower Louise Burrows has backed Kemp to take the next step after her starring role.

"Although she plays so well now, she's still young and still has so much of her game that she can develop and grow," Burrows said.

"It's pretty exciting to see what she is doing now. If she puts the hard work in over the next few years, she could have a really bright future.

"She's dangerous with ball in hand, when she runs straight she is really hard to stop, she keeps her legs pumping.

"Her first try today was off the back of a scrum, the City scrum dominated all day up front, and we were going forward and she kept the ball in for a little while, took it off the back and got over.

"She's really hard to stop. She's a really strong girl."

City second-rower Ash Fernandez was among the standouts for the victors while Country flyhalf Ashlea Bishop, a product of the south coast, played a huge role for her side.

Burrows has backed the City-Country concept to stay after making a point to her side before kick-off to bask in their moment of history.

"I said 'girls, this is the first time in history in Canberra that a game like this has ever happened, let's make sure we have fun'," Burrows said.

"It's a great opportunity for us to play some good footy and enjoy this experience, because it's the first time. Hopefully each year we can do something like this.

"Our little halfback [Kathryn Nikki], she's from Vikings and she's 18, it's a great opportunity to step up. There's girls here playing their first year of rugby, playing with someone like me who has been playing for 25 years. It gives them an opportunity to mix it up."

Country claimed the spoils in the men's contest with a comprehensive 35-17 win over their City rivals to close out their year of rugby unlike any other.