Brumbies fans brave the cold to cheer on their team against the Cheetahs at Canberra Stadium. Picture: Stefan Postles Source: Stefan Postles / Getty Images
THE Brumbies may have rediscovered their winning ways after nine years of failure, but Canberra isn't flocking back to this team just yet.
Far from the glory days when George Gregan, Stephen Larkham and co. were reeling in packed crowds of 27,000-plus to finals matches, on Sunday the franchise got a stark reality check when only half the seats in Canberra Stadium were filled.
Brumbies captain Ben Mowen's history at the NSW Waratahs makes him an apt judge on how delicate the relationship can be between rugby fans and franchises.
The freezing weather played a part in the meagre attendance of 14,020 for their first finals match since 2004, but Mowen and coach Jake White, who wrote columns in the local paper earlier this week pleading with supporters to attend the game, understand that progress is coming slowly.
"We've had great support throughout the year from the Canberra community, we would have liked to have had a full house but that's part of the wrestle we've had since this young group's been together," Mowen said.
"When Jake came in and the program was taken in a new direction, there was obviously a little bit of hurt in the community with the way the Brumbies had performed and the connection they'd had to that team.
"We've been rescuing that back week in, week out. You can see it in the journey in the last two years, a lot of the guys talk about it all the time, we get stopped in the street, congratulated and wished well.
"There is a real connection with the program we've got set up, living down here, playing for a club down here, we've all bought into the program and put roots down here so we consider ourselves Canberra locals.
"That's starting to flow back into the crowd."
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