But former Wallabies and Brumbies coach Eddie Jones has urged the club to make a decision as soon as possible on whether Stephen Larkham or Laurie Fisher will be the next coach.

The Brumbies gathered for a pre-training barbecue on Sunday night and will have their first training session on Monday, just two months after losing the Super Rugby final to the Waikato Chiefs.

White quit the last two years of his contract three weeks before he was supposed to return to Canberra to lead the Brumbies into the 2014 campaign.

The Brumbies are deciding between assistants Larkham and Fisher as a replacement.

Jones - who is in Durban visiting White - said the Brumbies needed to make a decision quickly to boost morale and confidence.

''I think they should get on the horse and make a decision as quick as possible, they know [Larkham and Fisher] as well as they can and there's no point dilly-dallying around,'' Jones said.

''They've been working with them for the last two years, they've just got to make the decision because I think that gives the person the comfort and also the players as well that the club knows where it's going.''

The Brumbies announced on Saturday they would resist the temptation to recruit a coach externally and were instead focused on either Fisher or Larkham.

The Brumbies will inject 11 players from Canberra's club competition to help bolster their stocks for pre-season training.

They have also signed Australian schoolboys and under-20s prop Alan Alaalatoa for the next season. Patrick Sio, the younger brother of Scott Sio, headlines a list of rising stars who will get a chance to impress Larkham and Fisher at training.

The Brumbies are finalising their roster for the 2014 season with Larkham and Fisher close to filling the 35-man squad.

The duo will also likely recruit a defensive coach in the next week as a third assistant.

Canberra club stars Tim Cree, Rodney Iona, Matt Hawk and Ben Johnson are part of the 11-strong local contingent.

Fisher and Larkham want to continue boosting Canberra's club competition and recruit the best players to fight for Super Rugby contracts.

The first training session will be the first step to moving on from White's surprise departure.

The bulk of the team's stars are away on Wallabies duties, but powerful No.8 Fotu Auelua said pre-season training would be the first step in their championship mission.

The pre-training catch-up on Sunday night was the first opportunity for the Brumbies players to gather and digest White's decision to return to South Africa.

''It was shock, surprise and disappointing that Jake left,'' Auelua said.

''But we have to move forward as a team and squad. We have faith in Laurie and [Larkham] to do the job. We can't change anything now, we can only move forward.

''Our main focus is us now, time goes on. We'll kick off on Monday for a fresh start. Jake is one guy, there are multiple people involved around the squad and we've got to raise the bar now.

''Monday is the first step and the guys are looking forward to it and we definitely have the confidence to do that and not look back.''

Auelua is recovering from a post-season shoulder operation but is on track to be fit for the opening game of the season in February.

Meanwhile, former Brumbies training group member Robbie Abel has signed an extended player squad deal with the Western Force.