Ailsa Hughes is nothing if not determined.
Her early sporting prowess was evident on the GAA pitch, with All-Ireland medals with Offaly at minor and intermediate level to show for her camogie days.
Rugby also piqued her interest. Tag was popular in Tullamore, but there was one major stumbling block: there was no women’s team in the area.
"I got so fed up, because there was no club near us," she told RTÉ Sport, "but we had a huge tag rugby base."
The pro-active Hughes become one of the founding members of the women's club.
"It was just to try and get the lads on board to see if we could try and push women’s rugby, and see what we could do."
Tullamore now boast two women’s teams, but the scrum-half had ambitions bigger than simply club rugby.
With a World Cup to aim for, Hughes made the move to Railway Union to put herself on the radar of Irish management. The goal was to catch Tom Tierney’s eye and make the final squad.
The signs were positive after a couple of outings in the 2017 Six Nations but ultimately she failed to make the cut.
"Absolutely gutted," is the concise answer to how she felt after the omission. "I probably was my fittest and my strongest at that stage. I suppose at the time my rugby probably wasn’t up to scratch.
"That’s why I had to go away and actually focus on what type of rugby player I wanted to be and how I wanted to be, say, as a nine in itself. How I wanted to play as a nine."
There was little time for self-pity, and a decent string of performances for Leinster in the interpros that December was the perfect preparation for this year’s Six Nations. She fought off competition from Nicole Cronin for the first outing in France, and retained her starting spot for four of the five games.
It helped that head coach Adam Griggs was very familiar with her work from the provincial scene.
"I think I’m incredibly lucky that we had Adam for two years before this. Even going into that Six Nations, me personally, I had a fair idea of what game plan was and what he wanted to play. It was a bit of a benefit going into the Six Nations."
Hughes is again in the starting team for Sunday’s clash with the USA (kick-off 1pm) and believes she has a far better understanding of the game.
"We’re always so used to going for an outside ball, as opposed to giving an inside ball. To mix up defenders and actually be able to use a nine as a threat is good."
Name checking Conor Murray, and New Zealand pair Aaron Smith and TJ Perenara as some of her scrum-half role models, it is little wonder the Offaly native enjoys an open, attacking style of play.
Her offensive style is what Griggs wants to see more of from his team. "I love a fast game of rugby and the likes of the Donnybrook pitch is unbelievable for it. To be able to go out and work on that, and put it into our game plan then."
That was a huge mentally thing that I had to work on. Discover what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be
Crucially, Hughes is far more comfortable in her own skin in the international arena. Her position demands leadership, decision-making and a vocal presence, but these skills can take time to develop, especially in a Test environment.
"I suppose that’s where I had to go away after not being selected for the World Cup. To get away and actually work on that. That was a huge mentally thing that I had to work on. Discover what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be.
"Actually make a stand and go ‘look, I’m not one of those players. I’m not that loud, roaring and shouting one.’ I suppose in the meantime then, it’s just a matter of trying to build yourself into it and find your feet."
In just her sixth season as a rugby player and strengthened by her World Cup heartache, Hughes has certainly achieved that.
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