A decade ago, the ACT junior team wasn't considered good enough to play in the Australian championships.
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Now, the're preparing to host the final after toppling powerhouses NSW and Queensland in an undefeated regular season.
The Brumbies under 19s will play the Waratahs at Seiffert Oval on Sunday, with the Reds and Waratahs to face off in the under 16s decider earlier in the day.
This year's success is no fluke and ACT officials have made a concerted effort to build their junior pathways.
It's been a lengthy process, but the results are paying off.
The ACT Schoolboys side took out the 2017 Australian Schoolboys competition in a clear sign the territory was on the right track. It was the team's first title since 1988.
Now the Brumbies are playing in the under 19 final for the first time since the competition was established in its current form in 2016.
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Prior to that, ACT wasn't even granted entry into what was then the Australian under 20 championships and instead competed in a second division alongside the likes of Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.
A Barbarians team was selected from the Southern States Championship to play against NSW and Queensland in the top competition.
ACT Academy coach Dan Hooper has spent the past decade developing the city's top junior talent and scouring the other states for those overlooked or not wanted by the Reds or Waratahs.
This year's squad is a mix of homegrown talent and players overlooked by Queensland and NSW and many have played with a chip on their shoulder.
"We've got a good group of local academy kids in here," Hooper said. "A big chunk of the backline is a mix of academy kids and good local pick ups from club rugby.
"Then we've had some targeted recruiting of guys who missed out on the Waratahs under 19s. They've come in here and filled some positions we're a little bit weak locally. It's like the original Brumbies, a mix of locals and recruits coming in and blending together well.
"They've played with a chip on their shoulder, some of the blokes feel like they weren't wanted by their home state. They've come together and just clicked."
The Brumbies under 19s secured hosting rights for the decider with a tense 21-17 victory over the Reds.
The win completed an undefeated season and set up a rematch with NSW after ACT prevailed 24-22 in round one.
Sunday's clash will take place with a backdrop of animosity between the Brumbies and Rugby Australia, as the governing body pushes ahead with plans to takeover the franchise.
ACT has agreed to a centralised high-performance rugby program but expressed a desire to retain control of their off-field operations.
The Reds have backed the Brumbies' stance while the Waratahs have embraced centralisation and agreed to RA's proposal.
For many in Canberra, Sunday's final is about more than just winning another piece of silverware, it's about proving the Brumbies are capable of standing on their own two feet and toppling their more fancied rivals.
"I've been at the Brumbies a long time and it's been a pretty special couple of months," Hooper said. "In Super Rugby we've always been there or thereabouts but in the age groups it's rare for us to be in the top two with the size of Queensland and NSW. With the number of registered players they've got, it doesn't happen often.
"With everything happening [regarding centralisation] it would be nice to get a win like that for the Brumbies region."
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