ACT Brumbies prop Harry Lloyd secures University of Canberra scholarship

But now a University of Canberra initiative is set to ease the burden with Lloyd among 11 athletes securing a $10,000 Eldon and Anne Foote elite athlete scholarship.

Lloyd is studying a bachelor of exercise science and a bachelor of sports management, and joins Keely Froling, Keely Small, Claudia Obst, Jessica Bell, Mikaela Stevens, Alison Bai, Ari Gesini, Joshua White, Kate Eckhardt, and Freya Brent as a scholarship recipient.

Lloyd and the bulk of Australia's rugby players will remain on 70 per cent of their normal wage for the rest of the year while Wallabies stars will return to full pay for the Rugby Championship.

Players had agreed to a drastic 60 per cent wage reduction when COVID-19 forced Super Rugby to shut down in March, before a new deal was struck for July and beyond.

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Wallabies squad members have banded together to pool some match payments for redistribution to their club teammates in a show of unity.

"[The scholarship] takes a lot of the pressure off. Financially, there is pressure to find jobs and things with the pay cuts we took through COVID. It just makes things a lot easier so I can focus on uni and rugby," Lloyd said.

"It's just things week to week. We're on a monthly pay cycle, so budgeting for a month is quite difficult. Living out of home, finding rent, and also the pressure of trying to save money.

"I'm 25, looking to buy a house, this has slowed a lot of the progress and could for years to come. A lot of people are in the same boat so I can't complain."

Thirteen Brumbies are in New Zealand with the Wallabies, while the bulk of those left behind are sweating it out at club headquarters for the next three weeks before earning a break.

Lloyd says he will use the coming months to "try to get as big, fit, strong and as fast as I can" in search of more opportunities while officials nut out the Super Rugby landscape for 2021.

"It was a tough year not knowing what was next, and even going into next year not knowing what is next," Lloyd said.

"It was definitely good to see the boys get the win, it's the first grand final I've been a part of with the Brumbies and the first successful one I've had since being in Canberra.

"It was good to be a part of, hopefully next year there are plenty more minutes on the cards in whatever format it looks like. Hopefully it can be a bit more trans-Tasman and we can play a few more games."

Eldon and Anne Foote elite athlete scholarship recipients:

Harrison Lloyd - Rugby Union, Brumbies

Keely Froling - Basketball, UC Capitals and Australia 3v3

Keely Small - Athletics (800m), Athletics Australia

Claudia Obst - Rugby Union, UC7s, Brumbies (Super W)

Jessica Bell - Athletics (Javelin), Athletics Australia

Mikaela Stevens - Volleyball, Volleyball Australia

Alison Bai - Tennis, Tennis Australia

Ari Gesini - Athletics (Long Jump), Paralympics Australia

Joshua White - Softball, Softball Australia

Kate Eckhardt - Canoe Slalom, Paddle Australia

Freya Brent - Handball, Handball Australia