'Give us a chance': Brumbies coach Dan McKellar writes to rugby fans

Sometimes when you take a step back you see the bigger picture.

That moment for me was last weekend standing in the rain at the Braidwood Redbacks' sevens fundraiser.

I looked around the field and saw 20 ACT Brumbies players mingling with the 42 teams, cooking sausages and running water on a day they could have easily stayed at home to recover.

Less than 24 hours earlier we had beaten the Melbourne Rebels for our 10th win in a row at home, so the players were understandably nursing the bumps and bruises of a brutal Australian derby.

But the 2020 Brumbies understand rugby in Canberra is about more than what they do on the field and how many games they win or lose.

They understand we have a chance to start afresh and rebuild a strong rugby community in Canberra that everyone can be a part of.

As an organisation we are all committed to making every Brumbies game a great experience and to help make rugby great again.

I want you to come on that journey with us. I want you to believe we can reach the heights of the past.

I want to take this chance to talk positively about our great game. Sure, I've heard some reasons about why people were reluctant to get back into the stands.

But I hope you believe me when I say there are many more reasons to be excited about what's to come.

In the first two weeks of the competition we have added eight players to the Brumbies family. Some are young and getting a taste of Super Rugby for the first time. Others have been around the world, spent time in other codes or at other teams and have landed back in Canberra.

After two rounds we've won two games and scored 10 tries, more than any team in the competition. Fast passes, unbelievable skill from kids after two games and a team connected like brothers.

Our four tries in less than 30 minutes last week was as good of a performance as I've seen in many years.

Are we the finished product? Absolutely not. We won't be perfect every week, or for an entire 80 minutes. We will face challenges this year, but it won't alter our determination to play a style that resonates with fans.

We have 12 players who are either born and raised in Canberra, or moved here to play club rugby and earned their Super Rugby contracts.

They make up more than a third of our squad, which is the highest percentage of Canberra-based players in recent memory. That is something the Brumbies and the region should be proud of.

Peter Hewat and I spent last Thursday night with Easts and our intention is to visit every club this season, even if it's just to watch training or offer help in anyway.

Our commercial team has worked hard to change our game-day experience this year. What we were offering our fans wasn't good enough.

We needed to listen to the diehards and our harshest critics to find out why you weren't coming to our games.

As an organisation we decided 2020 was a chance to start over again. The professional game has changed forever, but there are things we can do to make everyone enjoy a night at the rugby.

Like offering a discount on stadium food and merchandise for all Brumbies members, or building a kids zone and sensory lounge to give families a chance to watch the game in environments that suit them.

Kick-off times have been moved forward by 30 minutes, which, as a father of two, I know is important to parents.

We've got two afternoon games and Canberra Stadium is allowing fans on the field after six of our eight home matches this year. Both players and coaches love the opportunity the mingle and chat with our supporters after a game.

The cost of signing up as a member has been slashed to 2009 prices and there are buses that will take you from pubs to the stadium front door.

We're also offering free entry to Rural Fire Service workers and volunteers who have spent the summer defending houses and towns from fires.

Those who have been at the games have loved it and I feel a genuine connection with those in the stands.

Our players are spending more time than ever immersed in the Canberra community. You'll see them at club rugby, junior rugby and aligned to charities and organisations.

I see this as an important step to reconnect with rugby fans who have been lost to the game for whatever reason.

Do I think we've got it all perfect? Of course not. Do I think we can get better crowds than 7000? Absolutely.

There's so much to be positive about.

We can't expect people to turn up if we're not connected to the community. Our players want to show how much we care about Canberra, and we want Canberra back at Brumbies games.