Time is of the essence.
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The ACT Brumbies are racing the clock to be ready for the Super Rugby season but the smoke haze hovering over the city has thrown their preparations in disarray.
The Brumbies have relocated their entire squad to Newcastle after their training base at the University of Canberra closed its facilities due to the hazardous air quality plaguing the region.
It gives Brumbies coach Dan McKellar and his team just four weeks to prepare for their round one clash with the Queensland Reds and any loss of training time would have a major impact.
The Super Rugby season will start on January 31, the earliest kick-off in the competition's 25-year history.
The Brumbies will undertake a 10-day training camp in Newcastle, but the length of their stay could change depending on the conditions in Canberra.
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"We can't afford to lose any training time with the early start to the season," McKellar said.
"We've got a group just shy of 60 people who are relocating.
"There's a whole lot of work that goes into the background to allow something like this to happen and we just can't compromise our preparation for January 31."
The lingering smoke from the south coast and surrounding fires could also force Brumbies and Super Rugby officials to discuss an alternate options for the opening game of the season.
It is hoped the smoke will clear before the Brumbies-Reds clash, but the game would have to be cancelled or moved if it is unsafe to play.
There is no smoke or air quality policy in Super Rugby.
Rugby Australia and SANZAAR began to address the issue before the Christmas break and will continue discussions over the next few weeks.
The Brumbies also hold concerns over their scheduled practice match against the Melbourne Rebels in Albury on January 23.
On Sunday, a fire of more than 127,000 hectares was burning out-of-control in the Jingellic area, east of Albury.
The Brumbies and Rebels have been monitoring conditions and will discuss alternative options in case the trial needs to be rescheduled.