It was the 18-year-old's debut for the ACT side, which came during the opening round of the 2021 Super W season against the Melbourne Rebels.

"I was so nervous before I came on to the field, but I think I went alright," Fernandez said.

She was joined on the field by fellow Yass product, Susannah Cooke, who also came off the bench.

At Queanbeyan's Seiffert Oval, the Brumbies scored a decisive 30-5 win over the Rebels.

However, that result looked unlikely during the first 20 minutes of the match. The Rebels controlled possession early, and camped in the ACT's defensive half.

As a result, the Brumbies were forced onto the back foot and defended desperately under the Melbourne onslaught. Each time they clawed possession back, the ball was soon turned over once again due to an error or good play from the Rebels.

Midway through the first half, that pattern changed. The ACT, having repelled multiple attacks on its line, benefited from some back-to-back penalties and gained ground up the field.

A successful penalty goal opened the scoring for the Brumbies, which was followed five minutes later by the first try of the match to Zali Waihape-Andrews.

From that point, the Brumbies never looked like ceding the momentum back to the Rebels.

Considering the troubles Melbourne had in getting its side to Queanbeyan, Fernandez praised Melbourne for its tenacity on the field.

"They're definitely a hard team to play," she said.

"Unfortunately they've had a lot of trouble with COVID, so I think it's amazing they've been able to come here and get that hit-out. They played so well, they're such a hard team to verse."

The growing number of locals making their way into representative rugby is a sign of how much passion there is for the game in Yass.

With the introduction of a women's rugby team in Yass this year for the first time in more than 25 years, Fernandez hopes it can open the door for more players from her home town.

"We've only ever had touch for the girls," she said.

"So it's amazing that they're able to get a women's team in, and hopefully that means all the young girls playing can come through."

Though she made her debut on Saturday, Fernandez has been involved with the Brumbies for over 18 months.

In that time, she said, the growth of her game has been exponential.

"I've grown so much in this space with all these girls," Fernandez said.

"There's so many leaders a lot older than me, I'm still quite young. So just being able to learn from them is awesome, it helps us develop so much."