Coach Andy Friend wants the ARU to create a competition from 2011 where the Brumbies, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds, Western Force and Melbourne Rebels second teams play a home-and-away competition.

And chief executive Andrew Fagan hinted the Canberra Vikings could return to the Sydney club competition next season should a second-tier competition not eventuate.

The Brumbies' pleas come because Saturday night's Brumby Runners match was the last time that players not in their top 22 each week would have competitive playing options.

The Sydney and Brisbane competitions don't start until April 10 and the standard doesn't rival Super 14.

Friend accepted there were financial challenges with setting up a new competition but insisted something had to be done.

The ARU funds the Sydney and Brisbane club competitions more than $1million each in premier rugby grants.

The ACT and WA unions receive no such grants. All the ACTRU receives is a $200,000 payment, which is used to employ staff for development programs with a community focus.

Friend believed the best solution would be a second-tier competition - coinciding with the Super 14 draw.

''I'd love to see, even next year, every time we play the Waratahs, Reds, Force and Rebels, both home and away, that our second-tier teams play the curtain raiser, or even the day after,'' he said.

For more on this story, see the print edition of today's Canberra Times.