Four players from the ACT Brumbies got hands on with BlazeAid recovery efforts in Bemboka on Wednesday.
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Andy Muirhead, Will Miller, Mack Hansen and Lachlan Lonergan were among representatives from the 2020 premiership club to help with rebuilding fences ahead of an impromptu game of touch and social catch up with players from the Far South Coast Falcons girls rugby club.
Lonergan and Hansen both agreed it had been an anxious wait for the Brumbies who had hoped to visit earlier in the year, but were contained in a COVID-19 sporting bubble.
"It has been hard for us because we've seen everything that's happening in these small towns, but we haven't been able to help because we were in our little covid bubble," Lonergan said.
"Now we're out of that it is good to come down and I am excited to help out and do what I can."
Hansen echoed the sentiment saying it had been "nerve-wracking" to follow the news and see what communities were going through.
"Honestly it's just great to get out and give back to the community, coming down having the opportunity to help people who were way less fortunate than us [in Canberra during the fires] is exciting," Hansen said.
"We heard so much that was happening elsewhere and we just want to do our part."
BlazeAid is helping 56 property owners around the Bemboka region who had lost fences during the fires, with the not for profit organisation working in the area since May.
Players said it was eye-opening to see the immense volume of work BlazeAid volunteers are getting through, mending kilometres of fencing each day.
"By the sound of it they've still got a lot more work to do, they're doing what they can to help out the guys that need to move forward with their life," Muirhead said.
Around two thirds of refencing efforts are still to be finished around Bemboka, but the Brumbies were quick to get hands on and see what it has been like for volunteers.
"It was good to see what they're doing on a day to day basis, waking up in the morning, going out and putting up kilometres of fences and seeing how hard that can be," Muirhead said.
While Will Millers farming background meant he could lead the charge, Hansen said he hoped the visit could also inspire others to help BlazeAid finish their recovery efforts.
"For us it's just doing our part really and hopefully we can give BlazeAid a bit of exposure as well to help out with the great job they're already doing," Hansen said.
"We said it a fair while back, it started off that we wanted to play good footy for people to have something to look forward to, now we're out of season we're willing to help out where we can and help whoever needs it."
The visit was also part of a three-prong effort by the Brumbies with Bayley Kuenzle, Connal McInerney, Tom Cusack and Darcy Swain visiting Tumut and Batlow, while a group including the likes of Tom Ross, Issak Fines and Harry Lloyd went to Broulee and Braidwood.