"I guess we've got some work to do," Pocock laughs. "Whatever we do, I'm sure it will be low key."

Pocock is nearing the end of a 12-month Australian rugby sabbatical and so much has changed since the champion Wallabies and ACT Brumbies flanker stepped away from the game.

The Western Force, his former club, has been axed from Super Rugby, the Brumbies have a new coach and Australia voted to legalise same sex marriage.

The last change on that list is poignant for Pocock given he and partner Emma decided not to legally marry in 2010 until their gay friends were afforded the same right.

That time has come and Pocock and Emma have started a wedding conversation, but it's just one small piece of a puzzle the 29-year-old will start putting together when he returns to Canberra early next week.

"We've chatted about it. At the time in 2010 we had a little ceremony with family and friends, but decided we didn't want to sign anything our friends couldn't," Pocock told Fairfax Media from Japan.

"It's kind of just been a personal stand and we'll see what happens, we'll organise something low key. There's plenty of time to sort of all of that out.

"Now the [same-sex marriage debate] is done, it's a good thing. I think everyone should be grateful to the activists and LGBTI folk who made this happen. I really do think it makes our society better going forward.

"There's a lot of challenges, but hopefully [Australia] won't be so slow on some of the other big things that are long overdue with being looked at and discussed."

Pocock was the first Australian player to be granted temporary leave from Wallabies and Super Rugby duties to pursue passions outside of rugby before setting a Brumbies return date for the 2018 season.

He jammed as much as possible into a six month window in Africa, where he threw himself into animal conservation, agriculture and reconnecting with his Zimbabwe roots.

It led him to the Mana Pools National Park, where he stood metres from a bull elephant and lions. Pocock is still in awe recounting the once in a lifetime experience in May.

"The nature side of things, that's where it's at. That's the special stuff to me," Pocock said.

"I've always wanted to go to Mana Pools. I heard about it as a kid, and to finally get up there was just such an incredible experience.

"To be able to walk in areas where there are elephants and lions ... and the rest. It was amazing.

"We stayed with some incredible people, they weren't the heroes you read in books but they are the real-life heroes dedicating their lives to something that's meaningful to them.

"They're so optimistic even though they're faced with some pretty dire outlooks in terms of the environment and all the challenges.

"The conservation work and just how challenging that is in terms of looking at climate change and how that's beginning to affect ecosystems. Then there's just space ... the demands on land everywhere in the world."

The sabbatical was designed and approved to keep Pocock fresh with a view to the 2019 World Cup in Japan after a decade in Super Rugby and eight years of Wallabies duties.

He also had a stint at Harvard in the United States to do a leadership course and is finishing his year off with a playing stint in Japan.

So far it seems like the break has worked. Rugby was the last thing on his mind as he helped grow tomatoes on a farm, owned by grandfather Ian, on the low-veldt in Zimbabwe.

"That was special. I usually get a few days a year with him, so to be able to see him on and off for a few months was well worth it."

He also worked with anti-poaching staff at national parks and worked to put in place a program for long-term conservation and development.

"We visited a few really amazing conservation projects that we'd been wanting to visit for years but didn't have the time," Pocock said.

"It was a bit of a reality check, being on the farm and dealing with the day to day things in Zim with land and politics. We certainly didn't achieve what we wanted to in the timeframe.

"But we're still working on it and we're hopeful something good will come from our time there.

"You get perspective on how big the world really is, not just in terms of professional sport and the bubble it is, but also just seeing how fortunate I've been to do what I've done.

"Seeing the joy sport does bring to so many people's lives ... I went back to my old primary school and helped with [rugby] training, that was really special. To give back in a small way was pretty cool."

The national parks of Zimbabwe and the hectic life in Japan are world's apart in almost every aspect, but Pocock has made the transition in the relatively small city of Ota.

Whilst in Africa he maintained his fitness by climbing trees, canoeing down picturesque rivers and running with Malilangwe anti-poaching scouts.

"But the first week with [the Panasonic Wild Knights] was some sort of distilled version of hell," Pocock laughed.

"It's been good. One of the big things I was really grateful for was being able to come back via Japan. They've really got me back up to speed."

Pocock has reunited with former Wallabies coach Robbie Deans at the Wild Knights and those who have watched him play say he hasn't lost any of the skill or power that made him one of the world's best No. 7s.

The best part, however, is that Pocock hasn't swapped his stint in Africa for a concrete jungle. He rides his bike to training and has immersed himself in the Japanese culture.

"You can do as much running as you want, but nothing can prepare you for the intensity of team sessions and contact training," Pocock said.

Pocock left Australian rugby not knowing who would be the Brumbies coach when he returned, but he has maintained contact with Dan McKellar since he was unveiled as Stephen Larkham's successor.

The farm he spent the majority of his time at didn't have a television and limited internet access.

It gave Pocock a chance to mentally step away from the game, as well as allowing his body to refresh in a different environment.

"But if I could watch the Brumbies or Wallabies, I would," Pocock said.

"It wasn't a mental break in terms of a holiday, but a mental break in terms of doing something totally different, engaging in different problems and different thinking, meeting different people and also getting to spend some time with my family.

"You're the same person, but with new experiences you get to learn a bit more about yourself. I'm excited.

"I've been staying in touch with a few of the Brumbies guys and Dan McKellar and Ben Serpell, they've been keeping me across stuff. I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things [in 2018]."

Pocock's return will be a massive boost for the Brumbies as the club prepares for a new generation under McKellar's guidance.

Pocock will be greeted by 20 new faces in the Brumbies' extended squad after massive turnover in the past 12 months.

But he's confident he can slot straight back in and will be a valuable leader for the club as McKellar weighs up his captaincy options.

"There are a lot of guys I don't know, but that's the great thing about rugby," Pocock said.

"I've been really impressed with Dan so far and his approach. From everything I've heard, everyone has been working hard and well together, I'm excited to be a part of that and try to achieve something."

Pocock will almost certainly slot straight back into the Brumbies' No. 7 jersey, but his place in the Wallabies squad is less clear.

In his absence, his openside flanker sparring partner Michael Hooper has taken on the Wallabies captaincy duties.

"I've committed to going through to 2019 and that's my goal, that's what I'm working towards," Pocock said.

"In rugby, you never know what can happen. I'll be doing everything I can do get back to playing my best rugby, that's all you can do."