1. Why is Ben Mowen leaving?
He's 29, has an 18-month-old daughter and has been playing Super Rugby for 10 years. Although it took a decade to reach his Wallabies goal, he wants more time with his family. Mowen will also get a lucrative contract in France, worth as much as his Brumbies and Australian Rugby Union deals, but without the pressure of having to earn representative match payments.
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2. Where is he going and will he come back?
France, although it's unclear which club he will join. There is a strong Brumbies contingent at Grenoble, and Matt Giteau plays for Toulon. Given he is 29 and made his Wallabies debut only last year, it's unlikely he will play in Australia again. But Mowen says: ''I'd be naive to say that I will never play for Australia again. You just don't know.''
3. Who's the next Brumbies captain?
Mowen offered to stand down as Brumbies captain, but coaches Stephen Larkham and Laurie Fisher say he is the best man for the job. Larkham calls Mowen the best captain he has seen. Fisher rated Mowen alongside former Wallabies skippers George Gregan and Brett Robinson. David Pocock, Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander, Matt Toomua, Christian Lealiifano and Nic White are contenders to take over as captain.
4. Can the Brumbies cope with the instability?
First coach Jake White quit, then chief executive Andrew Fagan, now the captain is leaving at the end of the season. The Brumbies made the finals last year for the first time since 2004, and were beaten in the grand final. They now need to cope with a huge change. ''Change is good,'' Fisher says. ''There's been a lot of change. But that doesn't affect how successful you can be.''
5. Will other off-contract Brumbies follow?
Mowen's departure will free up valuable salary-cap space as the Brumbies try to secure their roster for 2015 and beyond. Five Wallabies in the Brumbies squad are off contract at the end of this season: Matt Toomua, Christian Lealiifano, Scott Fardy, Scott Sio and Jesse Mogg. Coach Stephen Larkham is juggling the $4.5 million salary cap and the new ARU contract system.
