ACT Brumbies looking to revive connection to the Canberra region ahead of Super Rugby AU final

But the ACT Brumbies hope the crowd cap increase can be the catalyst to lure fans back to rugby union and brush aside discontent fuelled by off-field woes.

An entertaining brand of rugby has helped the Brumbies secure hosting rights for a Super Rugby AU grand final against the Queensland Reds on Saturday.

Now they will play in front of a sold-out crowd - albeit at 25 per cent of the venue's capacity - as they look to create a spectacle that will ignite the desire of fans to return to games in 2021.

Winning a title forms only one part of Brumbies chief executive Phil Thomson's plan - a major cog is rebuilding a connection with the community to capitalise on a five per cent increase in membership sales this year, aided by a return to 2009 membership prices, following a major downturn over the past three years.

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Average crowds at Brumbies home games have fallen every year since 2013, but Thomson hopes a rise in Canberra products in the squad can help to revive the club's connection to the region.

"The Gregans, Larkhams, Roffs, Kafers, Caputos, all those guys were part of that initial group. This year, to have nine or 10 local players within our squad is very important," Thomson said.

"They've come through our school system and our pathway system. There is a real connection to the community that way. Back in 2013 or 2014, we had one or two players who had come through our own systems within the squad.

"People can see a guy who has gone through Daramalan, Marist, St Edmund's, Erindale College and been a part of the rugby pathway and made it to become a professional rugby player, and has run onto [Canberra] Stadium in front of their family and friends.

"They can look at the crowd and know the people in the crowd who have been on the journey with them. One of the things we have really tried to do over the past couple of years is rebuild our academy program to bring through the best local talent, and also bring in the best talent from interstate that we feel best fits our program, our culture, and what we want to do.

"It's extremely important we have that local connection and people can say there are homegrown Brumbies within the Brumbies team."

Building that connection this year has been far from easy. Biosecurity measures meant players have been living in a rugby bubble.

School and community visits have been scrapped, chances to send players around town to drum up support in grand final week hasn't been an option.

But the club is committed to maintaining a connection with the broader region as they prepare to send players not called into the Wallabies squad out for country visits in the coming weeks.

"It's extremely important. We had planned to have country trips in May if the world was in its normal position. We've had to obviously cancel those," Thomson said.

"The regional areas around Canberra have been hit by drought, fires, floods, so we want to get out there and show our support as best as we could. Even within our community, we've had to limit our interaction.

"The organisation has had to adapt to how we can continue getting exposure and engagement throughout our community."

SUPER RUGBY AU GRAND FINAL

Saturday: ACT Brumbies v Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium, 7.15pm.