The ACT Brumbies could use a favour or two to help them chase their Super Rugby finals goal, but an eye-opening team building session showed them just how important a helping hand could be.
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The Brumbies turned up to training on Tuesday thinking they were about to start preparations for their clash against the Japan Sunwolves at Canberra Stadium this weekend.
Instead they were split into groups, told stories about people who lose hands, some who come in contact with landmines, and then built prosthetic hands to send around the world.
"I didn't realise what it was about until they started showing clips about it," said winger Toni Pulu.
"It's sad to see other people suffering. It's good to see the Brumbies putting something in to help others out, we've made eight hands to hopefully change their lives.
"It puts your problems into perspective, shows how small your problems are compared to other people around the world."
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Brumbies players had to work one-handed to complete the project to give them a greater understanding about how they will be helping people you use prosthetic limbs.
Some read the instructions, others built the hand while they also designed cases and added hand-written notes to the recipients.
The Brumbies will need plenty of collaboration and cohesion if they want to be a Super Rugby title contender this season after igniting their campaign with a win last week.
But they took time away from the ladder watching and game planning to be a part of the Rugby Union Players Association wellbeing and performance funded session with the Helping Hands Program.
"Some team building exercises you wonder what you're going to get out of it," said lock Murray Douglas.
"But there was a purpose behind this, you realised what you were doing was going to benefit someone else. We're in quite a privileged position doing something we love. When you do something like this, you realise it's not worth sweating the small stuff."
The Brumbies are the equal leaders of the Australian conference after beating the Auckland Blues in Canberra last weekend.
They will play three of their remaining five games in the capital, but their path to the play-offs is complicated by a bye, which will give their Australian rivals a chance to jump ahead.
