The Tuggeranong Vikings flanker will join the ACT Brumbies squad on a short-term contract after Lachlan McCaffrey dislocated his elbow last weekend.

Oakman-Hunt got a taste of Super Rugby when he joined the Brumbies at training as back-row cover in 2016.

But just hours later he was in agony after he dislocated his shoulder at Vikings training and spent the next nine months on the sidelines.

Now the 25-year-old architecture student is determined to make the most of his second chance as the Brumbies prepare to face the Otago Highlanders in Dunedin on Saturday.

"I was covering back then, two years ago. Both [brother] Dean and I have been in and out as cover for when people were injured and that sort of thing," Oakman-Hunt said.

"It’s good to know that I’ve got back to that after that injury. I was out for nine months after a bad, bad, bad injury. I’ve got confidence now on the back of games."

Things are already looking better than they did last time. His days are usually consumed by architecture studies at university and odd labouring jobs, and night was reserved for rugby.

Now the roles have reversed - Oakman-Hunt trained with the Brumbies on Monday and was given the night off from club commitments, meaning there would be no repeat shoulder injury this time around.

Oakman-Hunt isn't sure if he will travel with the Brumbies or play for Tuggeranong in the John I Dent Cup on Saturday, but he is certain that university will be on the backburner for a month.

"I’m studying architecture at the moment, but that’s on the backfoot for the next month because of this so I’ll have to consider my options there and figure out what I’m going to do about that," Oakman-Hunt said.

"The opportunity is too good to turn down. I do odd labouring here and there and a bit of architecture stuff. My sole income is just odd jobs here and there, landscaping and concreting.

"But I’m a full-time student as well. Over the next couple of years I want to do a masters as well. You don’t know when you’ll get another chance really, it’s hard to say no to a good opportunity as well.

"I can only play rugby in my youth for the next five years really, whereas in architecture I’m at the bottom."

McCaffrey has been cleared of a fracture or major structural damage, but the back-rower is still expected to miss up to six weeks of the Super Rugby season. It is a cruel blow as Rob Valetini's recovers from knee surgery and Lolo Fakaosilea manages a shoulder injury.

Oakman-Hunt could be sent straight into a daunting trans-Tasman clash this weekend as the Brumbies aim to snap Australian rugby's ugly 33-game losing streak against Kiwi opponents.

It wouldn't be the first time McKellar has called on an unsuspecting Oakman-Hunt - the ex-Vikings coach used to pluck the Oakman-Hunt brothers out of colts and into first grade in Canberra.

Dean is now playing with Eastern Suburbs in the Shute Shield and his brother admits it was tempting to follow him there.

He gets "messages from Dean every day or snapchats of the beach" which make the lifestyle look pretty good, but Oakman-Hunt needs "a purpose to be up there".

He has that in Canberra with his girlfriend, university, and for the next month, a Super Rugby shot.

SUPER RUGBY ROUND NINE

Saturday: Otago Highlanders v ACT Brumbies at Forsyth Barr Stadium, 5.35pm. TV time: Live on Fox Sports.