A 24 hour shift and almost one hour on a breathing apparatus is hardly the ideal preparation for week two of a ground-breaking women's rugby competition.
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But to Merrin Starr, it's the sacrifice she's willing to make to enjoy a double life as firefighter and ACT Brumbies prop for the Super W season.
Starr will join the Brumbies for a massive round-three clash against the NSW Waratahs at Warringah Oval on Saturday.
They'll leave Canberra early in the morning and return home after midnight as they target a win against their biggest rival.
It will be a draining game-day experience, but Starr is used to the hectic schedule.
She was on duty until 8am the day of the Brumbies' first game last week and was back at work the next day when a total fire ban was ordered across Canberra.
"I'm meant to be working [for the Waratahs] game as well, but they've allowed me to take the day off," Starr said.
"It's making it work, but it's a juggle. I moved to Canberra to be a firefighter, I hadn't played rugby in about five years. But this chance came up and I was excited by that.
"The job comes first ... It was all hands on deck last week so I hobbled around for a nine-hour shift with a few bumps and bruises.
"We had basically structure in the city [on Thursday], the smell of smoke through a nine storey heritage building. It turned out to be more of a maintenance thing with the lift.
"I was on a breathing apparatus for 40 minutes or so, then finished work at 6pm and went straight to training."
Starr doesn't mind doing things the hard way. The 33-year-old stopped playing rugby five years ago after moving around regional NSW for work.
A firefighter recruitment opportunity popped up in Canberra and she jumped at the chance to move to the capital. Even then, rugby was on the back-burner for the former NSW Country front-rower.
Most girls in the Brumbies team, and the wider Super W ranks, are excitedly waiting to see how the competition will expand and grow in the coming years.
As a veteran, Starr is just happy to be a part of the ride that's helping inspire a new generation of female players.
"Everything about it so far has been fantastic," Starr said.
"I've definitely got no regrets. I love that I can show [my nieces] they can do anything they want when they grow up.
"I love rugby and it's great, but right now my priority is my job. But some of the younger girls can have a rugby career as a priority and that's so good."
Starr will start on the bench for the Brumbies, with coach Tony Doherty recalling Wallaroos duo Kate Brown and Georgia O'Neill as they chase their first Super W win.
SUPER W ROUND TWO
Saturday: NSW Waratahs v ACT Brumbies at Warringah Park, 3pm. Live stream on Fox Sports.
Brumbies team: 1. Anna Korovata, 2. Louise Burrows, 3. Peta Cox, 4. Kate Brown, 5. Charlene Gubb, 6. Jess Howard, 7. Georgia O'Neill, 8. Shellie Milward, 9. Jane Garraway, 10. Ash Kara, 11. Dracy Read, 12. Cecilia Smith, 13. Paremo Marsh, 14. Talei Wilson, 15. Michelle Perry. Reserves: 16. Emerena Aviga, 17. Violeta Tupuola, 18. Merrin Starr, 19. Michaela Leonard, 20. Tayla Stanford, 21. Remi Wilton, 22. Kiara Meredith-Brown, 23. Samantha Wood.
