The Brumbies are settling into their temporary new home at the AIS, but there have been some interesting visitors at the club’s old Griffith headquarters. Still waiting clearance to start demolition, some local squatters have moved into the Brumbies’ offices in recent weeks. One resident decided it wasn’t warm enough and lit a fire in the room the players used to meet to discuss tactics. The Brumbies new permanent home will be at the University of Canberra with construction expected to be finished by the end of March. But the team will start making a move from the AIS to the university on November 22 when they train for the first time at their new home.

Bennett backed Buderus job in Canberra

Seven-time NRL premiership-winning coach Wayne Bennett, pictured, has revealed he encouraged his Newcastle hooker Danny Buderus to sign-on as defensive assistant for the ACT Brumbies last season. The Brumbies heralded Buderus as part of their staff, until the NRL stepped in and blocked the move because he was still playing for the Knights and didn’t want him working in a rival code. Bennett, in Canberra on Wednesday for the Australian Sports Commission’s world class to world best conference, urged Australia’s top codes to embrace cross-sport pollination. “I spoke to Danny about it and said go down [to Canberra]. I’ve never had tunnel vision for rugby league,” Bennett said. “I’ve been interested in other sports for how they do it and why they do it ... we can be better and improve.

“I thought it was a pretty smart move by the Brumbies. Danny was thinking about life after football and didn’t know where it was going, he got a bit ahead of himself.

“Sports scientists work between codes. It’s not one sport for life any more, you could find yourself across two or three codes.”

Bennett also hit out at critics of the Rugby League World Cup, insisting the tournament is “exciting” and crucial for the game’s future. Bennett helped mastermind Australia’s demise at the 2008 World Cup when he joined New Zealand as an assistant coach. “One of the reasons I coached the Kiwis was because I wanted people to value the World Cup. I knew the only way we could do it is if we lifted the other teams with us and I think it’s come to fruition.”

Skiing, bungee-jumping and plenty of bars – the Brumbies are going to the party capital of New Zealand for a pre-season match next year. Queenstown looms as a likely venue for the Brumbies’ first trial match before the Super Rugby season next year, against the Highlanders on January 31. The second pre-season match will likely be in Canberra, against an ACT representative team. Our Wallabies representatives are not due back to Brumbies training until January 6 and are likely to be rested from the Queenstown trial. Queenstown is a hot spot for adrenaline junkies and party seekers. The Wallabies have made it a regular stop, including last month before the last Bledisloe Cup match. But who could forget England’s night out during the 2011 World Cup when captain Mike Tindall and his team went to an event dubbed the “Mad Midget Weekender”. The Brumbies will be on a tighter leash.

There were a couple of nervous smiles at Canberra Stadium when Ricky Stuart and Stephen Larkham, pictured, met for the first time as the Raiders and Brumbies coaches. Larkham revealed he was originally a Parramatta Eels fan. Of course, Stuart copped plenty of criticism from Eels fans when he left Parramatta to come back to Canberra. Larkham was quick to clarify that’d switched loyalties to the Raiders too, when they started dominating in the late 1980s and early 1990s. A former Australian Wallabies representative, Stuart said he was at the Brumbies championship win in 2004 and still had a soft spot for union. His two sons will play both rugby league and rugby union at St Edmund’s College – Stuart’s old school – next year.

There was a rumour doing the rounds this week that Brumbies flyer Robbie Coleman was about to make an audacious cross-code switch to AFL. Coleman laughed it off and insisted he was staying with the Brumbies until the end of his contract in 2015. But Coleman revealed he had been linked to a switch to the Sydney Swans in 2012. Coleman was negotiating a contract with then Brumbies coach Jake White when the Swans showed interest. There was no secret training session and Coleman didn’t pick up a Sherrin, but he told White and within days Coleman had a new Brumbies deal.

The ACT Comets will be gracing the big stage of ANZ Stadium for a Twenty20 trial match with the Sydney Thunder next month. The match with the Big Bash League franchise has been locked in for December 20. Comets players will be out to impress as the Thunder has two spots to fill on its roster. A handful of the best from the ACT competition have been playing in the Sydney grade T20 competition to boost their chances of getting picked. Matt Gawthorp, Dean Solway, Josh Bennett and Michael Spaseski have been on display along with Jono Dean and Ben Oakley, who are already signed with the Adelaide Strikers.

Surfing legend Layne Beachley beamed with pride, and for good reason, when Canberra’s BMX star Caroline Buchanan, pictured, claimed the AIS athlete of the year award on Thursday night. Beachley, who co-hosted the event along with Channel 7’s Mark Beretta, had a role in Buchanan’s rise as a double world champion. Beachley’s Aim For The Stars foundation awarded a financial grant to Buchanan early in her career.