The John I Dent Cup will re-emerge as the breeding ground for the next generation of ACT Brumbies with an easing of COVID-19 restrictions allowing players to return to clubland.
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Brumbies players absent from the club's matchday 23 during last year's Super Rugby AU campaign were forced out of the Canberra first grade competition due to tight biosecurity measures.
But now Rugby Australia's policies have eased, allowing players to live normal lives and opening the door for them to push for Super Rugby caps via the club rugby scene.
Emerging Brumbies hooker Billy Pollard is relishing the chance to play club football with Uni-Norths Owls set to launch their campaign against the Canberra Royals on April 17.
The Junior Wallabies squad member featured for the Owls last year during his time as a Brumbies academy player before rising into Dan McKellar's top squad this season.
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Now Pollard wants to shake off a niggling leg injury as he looks to use the John I Dent Cup to launch his Super Rugby dream.
"I'm just trying to get back as soon as I can, get back into Owls colours and hopefully, if the opportunity arises, Brumbies as well," Pollard said.
"It definitely takes a toll on you, just training all the time without really getting to play. Particularly last year, it was really a struggle for a lot of the boys, not being able to play.
"It provides a new opportunity to go down and practice what they've been doing all pre-season.
"Not too many of the Brums boys come to Owls, so it's always good and really important that we can get combinations right at the start of the season."
The Tuggeranong Vikings will face the Queanbeyan Whites in round one while the Gungahlin Eagles open their season against the Western District Lions.
Royals veteran Ben Johnston will give up the captaincy reins as they chase the club's first three-peat in 30 years.
"It's a good opportunity and good timing for someone else to take the reins and take the boys forward over the next few years," Johnston said.
"We've got a couple of young blokes coming through, they'll be able to do a job there for us. They've been training the house down.
"If you can have young guys coming through the club who are learning the ropes as they're coming through and pushing themselves to progress into those upper grades, it's a massive help for us.
"It keeps the guys in ones and twos on their toes as well in terms of having to keep their position."
JOHN I DENT CUP 2021 FIXTURE
Round 1: Saturday, April 17 - Gungahlin Eagles v Western District Lions; Tuggeranong Vikings v Queanbeyan Whites; Canberra Royals v Uni-Norths Owls
Round 2: Saturday, April 24 - Gungahlin Eagles v Canberra Royals; Queanbeyan Whites v Uni-Norths Owls; Western District Lions v Tuggeranong Vikings
Round 3: Saturday, May 1 - Canberra Royals v Western District Lions; Queanbeyan Whites v Gungahlin Eagles; Tuggeranong Vikings v Uni-Norths Owls
Round 4: Saturday, May 8 - Canberra Royals v Tuggeranong Vikings; Uni-Norths Owls v Gungahlin Eagles; Western District Lions v Queanbeyan Whites
Round 5: Saturday, May 15 - Queanbeyan Whites v Canberra Royals; Gungahlin Eagles v Tuggeranong Vikings; Uni-Norths Owls v Western District Lions
Round 6: Saturday, May 29 - Canberra Royals v Uni-Norths Owls; Tuggeranong Vikings v Queanbeyan Whites; Western District Lions v Gungahlin Eagles
Round 7: Saturday, June 5 - Canberra Royals v Gungahlin Eagles; Uni-Norths Owls v Queanbeyan Whites; Western District Lions v Tuggeranong Vikings
Round 8: Saturday, June 19 - Gungahlin Eagles v Queanbeyan Whites; Tuggeranong Vikings v Uni-Norths Owls; Western District Lions v Canberra Royals
Round 9: Saturday, June 26 - Canberra Royals v Tuggeranong Vikings; Gungahlin Eagles v Uni-Norths Owls; Queanbeyan Whites v Western District Lions
Round 10: Saturday, July 3 - Tuggeranong Vikings v Gungahlin Eagles; Uni-Norths Owls v Western District Lions; Queanbeyan Whites v Canberra Royals
Round 11: Saturday, July 10 - Western District Lions v Gungahlin Eagles; Canberra Royals v Uni-Norths Owls; Queanbeyan Whites v Tuggeranong Vikings
Round 12: Saturday, July 24 - Gungahlin Eagles v Queanbeyan Whites; Tuggeranong Vikings v Uni-Norths Owls; Western District Lions v Canberra Royals
Round 13: Saturday, July 31- Tuggeranong Vikings v Western District Lions; Queanbeyan Whites v Uni-Norths Owls; Canberra Royals v Gungahlin Eagles
Round 14: Saturday, August 7 - Tuggeranong Vikings v Canberra Royals; Queanbeyan Whites v Western District Lions; Uni-Norths Owls v Gungahlin Eagles
Round 15: Saturday, August 14 - Canberra Royals v Queanbeyan Whites; Western District Lions v Uni-Norths Owls; Gungahlin Eagles v Tuggeranong Vikings
Semi-finals: August 28-29
Preliminary final: Saturday, September 4
Grand final: Saturday, September 11
Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports writer for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports writer for The Canberra Times.
