A Royal Navy officer has helped her Australian compatriots beat the Australian Army women for the first time in the history of the Australian Defence Force inter-service rugby festival.

Lt Sara Collen is in Australia on Exercise Long Look, an annual arrangement in which personnel from the British, Australian and New Zealand armed forces swap jobs in order to promote understanding between the organisations.

The Australian Army has dominated the Commodore Michael Dunn Cup since women’s rugby was brought into the inter-services competition in 1997, with just a single draw two years ago to show for their efforts.

But this year a Navy team which featured five RAAF personnel as well as Lt Collen, of Clyde Naval Base.

The victory was built on heart – the Navy was forced to defend in depth in the first half against the bigger Army forwards, and it was the Army who scored first with a try between the posts, giving an easy conversion.

But the Navy hit back when national player Lt Nyree Osieck found a gap in a ruck and side-stepped her way to the line, bringing her team level by the interval.

And it was the same player who slipped through the Army defence ten minutes into the second half to score the winning try, which was converted.

With the Navy preventing their opponents from working up momentum, the defence held firm to shut out the Arm and win the game 14-7.

The first and only British forces representative in the competition, Lt Collen joined the Sydney University women’s rugby team on arrival in Australia and was subsequently selected as hooker for the Navy team.

Training for the competition included sessions on Bondi Beach and watching the Wallabies go through an open training session.

Following the match Lt Collen was selected for the Combined Australian Services rugby union team at a national tournament featuring the best players from the state sides.

Lt Collen plays for the Edinburgh Royal High School women’s rugby team in the UK, who are the current Scottish national league and cup champions.

Lt Collen said it was “an honour and a pleasure to represent the Royal Navy overseas and to assist the Australian Navy in their first ever win over the Australian Army team.”