Rugby Union: Erika Maslen commences training with Brumbies

But Erika Maslen has quickly settled into life in Canberra as she chases her dream of playing Super W.

About the only negative so far has been the weather. It has been far hotter than she anticipated.

"You come to Canberra with the mindset that it's three degrees every day, it doesn't matter if it's the middle of summer. Not at all, it's like 35 degrees here," Maslen joked.

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Commencing training with the Brumbies earlier this month, the Pirates star admits it was "terrifying" walking in for that first session, especially with the majority of the squad having been training together for a few weeks before Christmas.

"But the girls have welcomed me with open arms," she said.

After slogging it out on her own for a month before she went down there, Maslen said it has felt great to finally get to train with the squad.

"I can train as much and as often as I want by myself, but it's not quite the same as the feel of training beside the girls," she said.

"That's probably been my favourite part."

It has been a step up from the two nights she is accustomed to with some form of training five days a week.

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They do field sessions Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and gym sessions on top of that Monday, Tuesday, and Friday and then what the Pirates front rower called "off-peak conditioning" on Saturdays.

Balancing that with full-time work, life is "hectic to say the least". Usually starting work at 7am, she then goes pretty much straight to training after she finishes.

Working in Queenbeyan, it is a good 25-30 minute commute to the Brumbies base at the University of Canberra.

But Maslen is taking it in her stride: she's been long dreaming of an opportunity such as this.

One of her hesitancies previously about moving away was her carpentry apprenticeship. But she has been fortunate to find work which will enable her to continue with that.

"I've started at Lifestyle Kitchens and Joinery and they've been fantastic," she said.

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"They're willing to continue my apprenticeship so I start my third year next month."

The first time the 19-year-old has lived away from home, and her family, it has been a bit of an adjustment.

"We're a big family and we're quite close, we have regular family dinners, so it's weird to be not seeing them for a couple of months at a time," she said.

"But you've gotta grow up some stage and leave the nest."

Maslen is looking forward to getting a chance to show what she can do in the Brumbies' upcoming trial games.

They are scheduled to play the South Australian Black Falcons in Griffith on February 4 and then the Rebels a week later in Wagga Wagga.

From what she understands the whole squad, which is about 50 at the moment, will be involved in the first game. They will then cut the squad to 42 for the Rebels game, following which they will announce the final squad.

"So I'm definitely in that first one and hopefully I can get into that second one as well, that's obviously the goal," she said.

The goal is then to make the final 32.

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