The Mudgee native has been named as co-captain of the first ever women's Country South Steelers team which will do battle in the 2022 NSW Police Rugby League Women's Police Bank Cup.

She will share the captaincy role with Sandra Laughlin, who made the 2008 Jillaroos squad, while fellow Bathurst officer Sarah Archer has been revealed as vice-captain.

While there have been male versions of the Police Bank Cup in the past, come April in Tamworth it will mark the first time female teams will compete.

"I think Sandra has been in the cops longer than I have, but I've been in 20 years now, and we've seen all the boys doing this stuff for many, many years and getting frustrated, going 'Hey guys, we need a comp. Hey guys can we do something?'.

"Now it is finally happening for us."

While Shoulders has represented Australia in police rugby union, this year was her first opportunity to play police rugby league.

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She and Archer lined up in the first NSW Country outfit and off their back of their performances for that side, were selected in the NSW team which was to play Queensland in the inaugural women's police rugby league State of Origin.

While COVID-19 meant that origin game did not go ahead, it did lead Shoulders and Archer to their leadership roles with the Steelers.

"Their [Steelers] head coach is Nathan Simpson who was our head coach for the Country team when we had City verses Country. So we fall under their playing district and he's very excited to get on board and have us on board," Shoulders said.

"We can also have three specialists and Sandra is from a specialist unit in Sydney, so very quickly he said 'Sandra, you're coming to us'. Sandra and I both love what Nathan brings to the party.

"All the Country Steelers men have been very supportive and are very much on board, they are a very professional unit, and we're learning stuff that in the last 20 years we've never had the chance to learn, so it's great."

Shoulders said it came as a surprise when she was asked to be co-captain given her limited league experience, but she is delighted to have such an opportunity.

"I've never captained before because I've never really got to play league before. I grew up with league, my brothers played for the Mudgee Dragons forever, but because I found union first that's what I stuck with," she said.

"I had the one season [of tag] with Group 10 out here and the league comp out here has also been too short for a shift worker, when it's a six-week comp and I work weekends I wasn't going to commit.

"So I'm keen to give it a go and I've signed up with the [Panorama] Platypi for next year, so hopefully I can learn a bit more about it all."

The Country Steelers will be one of five teams competing in the 2022 women's Police Bank Cup. They will be joined by will be Country North, Bankstown, Eastern Suburbs and Macarthur.

Both NSW Police Rugby League City and Country representative teams will be selected from the carnival.

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