RUGBY UNION: SHE HAS represented her country on the front lines in war, and on the front lines in a World Cup, but for the first time in her career Australian Wallaroos number 8 Mollie Gray will be representing her country at the grassroots level.

Gray will be front and centre at the Grafton Redmen's 50th anniversary dinner at the Grafton District Services Club on Saturday night, flanked by former Wallaby Mark Chisolm as the dinner's guests of honour.

But before that night, Gray will be lending her time to the future of the Redmen club, their junior ranks and the burgeoning Redmen Rubies women's rugby side.

Gray has played in two Rugby World Cups, including making a miraculous recovery within six months of a gruesome leg injury to help Australia finish sixth at last year's tournament.

It is no wonder Gray is tough, a corporal with the Australian Army, she enlisted when she was just 18.

It was her posting to Darwin with the Army that helped spark the connection to the Grafton Redmen through Rubies coach Garry Wilson. Wilson and Gray became friends during their tenure in the top end, and when he asked her to help out the club, Gray jumped at the opportunity.

"I spoke to her last year about coming up and helping the local club, and she was more than happy to oblige,” Wilson said. "Also with the rise of the Rubies this season it has tied in perfectly with her visit in a sense that she can act as a mentor for the girls.”

Gray will join the club at its Hay Street base on Friday night for a junior come and try day, before running a private training session with the Rubies side on Saturday morning.

"Our biggest challenge as a club is to make our junior base stronger,” he said. "If we can get more kids, and especially more girls, involved at the junior level it will support the longevity of the club.

"I definitely think having Mollie there, who has made it to the top of the sport, can influence that in a big way.”

The junior event on Friday night will be a free come and try event.

Rubies get first run in the rough

AS PART of Saturday's Grafton Redmen 50th anniversary celebrations, the Rubies will play their first ever match as a squad when they welcome teams from Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay.

The seven-a-side match will act as a curtain raiser for the Grafton Redmen reserve grade and first grade clashes against Coffs Snappers at the Rugby Park, South Grafton.

The Rubies have been learning all facets of the game over the past eight weeks under the watchful gaze of Wilson, and are all champing at the bit for their first bit of game time.

"I am super excited, not just for the girls and the club, but for the whole of sport in this area,” Wilson said. "This is just the start of something much bigger than any of us imagined.

"All these girls have been doing is improving every training session. The development they have shown over the past two months has been incredible. Their drive, passion and commitment to the sport is second to none.”

Wilson said he expects Gray's visit to the Clarence Valley will be a major boost for the Rubies side ahead of their first clash, and has opened the Saturday morning development session to members of the Byron Bay and Snappers women sides.

THE Grafton Redmen Team of the Half-Century will be named in Saturday's issue of The Daily Examiner ahead of the 50th anniversary dinner at the GDSC. The team has been selected by a panel with a combined experience of over 1000 games for the Redmen.