They were there when the ACT Brumbies kicked off in the searing summer heat in January, they stood by the club in a global pandemic and they have been there in the cold.
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Now the Brumbies will gift season pass holders with free tickets to the Super Rugby AU grand final at Canberra Stadium on September 19.
Club chief executive Phil Thomson says it would be easy to make supporters pay for tickets, but the Brumbies are prepared to wear the financial hit, simply to say thank you.
Brumbies officials are hoping ACT chief health officer Kerryn Coleman will provide an exemption early this week for a crowd of about 6000 spectators for the grand final.
It would be enough space for the club's season pass holders, of which there are about 5000, to secure their seats.
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"Right from the heat, the first game was 39 degrees in a state of emergency, the rain, pandemics, and now into the cold phase of the year," Thomson said.
"It would be easy to [make people pay for tickets], but we realise we want to look after the people who have stuck with us. A number of members have been around for a number of years and hopefully they will be around in years to come.
"It's a thank you from our organisation to the people who have stuck by us throughout the course of the season and over a number of years. Reaching a final, we want to make sure as many of our members as possible are there at the game.
"Hopefully we get some positive announcements from the government early in the week to guarantee 25 per cent of the stadium's capacity will be able to get into the ground.
"The sooner we can get that information from the chief health officer and the ACT government, that would be great so we can get everything on sale and give people the opportunity to get their tickets."
Needless to say Jim Taylor will be among them, known among Brumbies staff as "the member of all members" having never missed a home game since the club's inception.
He was there the night Owen Finegan lifted the trophy in 2004. So too the near miss in the final against the Waikato Chiefs in Hamilton in 2013, a match his daughter Caitlyn flew 13 hours from Los Angeles for.
Trips to South Africa, New Zealand and Argentina for Brumbies games have for so long been the norm for Taylor, who once missed his wife Jody's sister's wedding reception to rush off to a game.
The COVID-19 world we live in has made overseas trips something of a distant memory, with Taylor adamant they must be grateful for the chance to still watch rugby.
That's why he will join Jody and daughters Beth and Caitlyn in the stands for Canberra Stadium's first grand final in 16 years to watch the Brumbies face either the Queensland Reds or Melbourne Rebels.
"It's exceptional. Usually when there is a final or a semi-final, everyone has got to pay. For the Brumbies to realise they've got a dedicated fan base, they're just showing their gratitude," Taylor said.
"The past couple of years when we've had home semi-finals, it seemed like no one would turn up. It's always exciting, especially for a grand final. You get so frustrated and carry on, you react to the referee's decisions, you jump up and down and you're on the edge of your seat when something happens.
"I know I'm only a supporter, but I genuinely feel like we are a part of the Brumbies."
Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports writer for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports writer for The Canberra Times.
