Dusty-Rose Bates and Lizzy Marshall are playing rugby for the first time this year, as part of the Royals under-10s team.

But coach Trevor Hancock fears some young players could be driven from the game unless the ACT Junior Rugby Union alters its grading rules so teams get to play against similar-level opposition.

Royals had three under-9 teams last year, but are fielding just one under-10s team this year. Despite their ranks being depleted, Royals under-10s were told they'd have to start the season in the top division and play at least seven weeks before their grading would be reassessed.

Given he had four new players to the game and and two novice girls, Hancock battled to get his case heard and officials eventually listened, moving them to third division.

"My concern and fear is that they'll get hurt in division one," Hancock said. "We lost players to private schools, but we were ranked on last year despite losing three-quarters of the squad. These kids had never played rugby before and they were in division one. They didn't listen. The hardest thing to teach kids is how to fall properly when they're tackled. If they don't, that hurts them and scares them away from the game."

Rugby can't afford to scare players away from the sport as it fights for popularity at a professional and amateur level.

Union had the lowest registered player numbers in competitions last year when compared to soccer and rugby league, with 3506 and another 3513 in junior schools programs.

Hancock has been running rugby programs in southside schools during his lunch break to increase interest.

"No one in the ACTJRU cared when I called. We don't have an under-12s, under-13s or under-14s team because we lose players, the ones left get flogged and they get scared off. We want to promote the game."

It could have started a Super Rugby war, but the Brumbies opted not to incite NSW Waratahs coach Michael Cheika with a tongue-in-cheek sign at Canberra Stadium on Friday night.

There were plans to post a sign in the Waratahs coaching box with a welcome sign saying: "In case of emergency DO NOT break glass."

The Brumbies sent Cheika a glazier's bill for $700 last year after the glass door to the box was shattered when the Waratahs lost in Canberra.

The sign would have got plenty laughs, but it might have made Cheika see red before a Wallabies meeting with Brumbies and Waratahs players on Saturday morning. Better to keep the peace for now.

The Canberra Raiders have had five players involved in preparation for Sunday's City-Country match, although it looks likely prop Shannon Boyd may miss out as 18th man for Country.

Looking back through the records though, it's easy to see Canberra - the Bush Capital - has focused its development and recruitment on the country regions.

When Canberra captain Jarrod Croker makes his debut for Country in Wagga, he will be the 31st Raiders player to pull on the Country jersey.

In contrast, Blake Austin will become just the fifth Raiders player to represent City. Although it needs to be pointed out that three of those City representatives - Glen Lazarus, Brad Clyde and Ricky Stuart - were raised in Queanbeyan and Canberra so eventually went on to represent Country when eligibility rules changed.

Hooker-half utility Brad Drew was the last Raiders player to play for City, in 2004.

The rep jumpers will no doubt mean a lot to this year's bunch of Raiders, but some of their jerseys from last weekend's win against the South Sydney Rabbitohs have also fetched a pretty penny.

The Raiders auctioned off their signed commemorative Anzac jerseys, raising more than $18,000 for Soldier On, Canberra Legacy and Woden RSL. Croker's No.3 jersey proved the most popular, attracting a top bid of $2,700.

Canberra Raiders winger Jordan Rapana is certainly not a diver, nor at the moment is he a driver.

The powerful winger had to defend himself against media accusations he'd taken a dive after a high tackle against the Rabbitohs last weekend, but a fractured cheekbone proved he wasn't feigning injury.

It was initially feared the fracture could be depressed, which would have ruled him out for up to eight weeks. But scans revealed good news and the 25-year-old could be back on the field as early as next weekend against his former club, the Gold Coast Titans.

At the same time as all this has been going on, Rapana had his car stolen last weekend while he was away in Cairns playing for the Raiders.

Canberra Cavalry championship duo Jack Murphy and Brian Grening might have a bit of work to do on perfecting their Australian accent, but as far as the Australian Baseball League is concerned, the pair will be dinky-di Aussies if they return Down Under next season.

The ABL has amended the import rules to count anyone who has played two consecutive seasons as a local, as if they were home-grown talent. Grening has played four seasons with the Cavs, while Murphy has spent three at the Fort and both played crucial roles in the Claxton Shield and Asia Series triumphs.

Hopefully the ABL hasn't left their run too late to allow the Cavalry to cash in on the rule change with these two.

Having raised millions of dollars for breast cancer, Glenn McGrath will help Raise A Smile for Cerebral Palsy Alliance ACT.

The former Australian fast bowler will join another retired quick Rodney Hogg and Australian Rules identity Sam Kekovich at a dinner to raise money for cerebral palsy on May 23 at the Southern Cross Club, Woden.

Wests rugby union coach Craig Robberds wanted to do something special to mark the five-year anniversary of the death of his daughter Gabby. She had cerebral palsy and died following a seizure aged just two. Contact Vanja Orelj on 6199 0699 for details.

Meanwhile, Collingwood premiership captain Tony Shaw will be the guest speaker at the Collingwood supporters' dinner at Gungahlin Lakes on May 14 and then at the Ainslie Football Club's long lunch the following day.