Fijian-born Speight answered a last-minute call from the ACT sevens team to present the players with their jerseys. As he was leaving, he went via the bar and paid the team's meal and drinks tab and without anything further, disappeared home. It's not a one-off, Speight is one of the nicest guys in Super Rugby.

On the Brumbies' flight to Wellington, Speight helped every female and elderly passenger around him get their bags out of the overhead locker. And after the Brumbies beat the Hurricanes 29-21, Speight delayed a stirring rendition of the team song after signing autographs, meeting fans and was the last one back to the change rooms.

What's the worst part about being captain of the Australian women's sevens team and firming as an Olympic Games gold medal contender?

For Canberra's Sharni Williams, it's having to put her mechanics career on hold. Williams hopes to lead the ACT team to Australian Sevens championship success in Canberra at the AIS this weekend. She's just returned from leading the Australian team to victory at a world series event in Brazil. But turning full-time rugby player has forced her to down tools.

"It's a bummer, I can't do it any more and I've been missing it," Williams, a qualified mechanic, said. "I haven't done it for a good seven months. A lot has changed, I worked for Toyota ... the car industry doesn't look too crash hot. I might be looking for a new career after rugby." Williams relocated from Canberra to Brisbane a year ago but now lives in Sydney. The final of the women's sevens tournament is at the AIS at 2.26pm on Sunday.

Australian rugby great George Smith has poured cold water on a potential Super Rugby comeback for the Brumbies this year. But we might not have heard the last of talks between Smith and the Brumbies as the club searches for a replacement for David Pocock.

Smith and Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham are good mates. They played in Super Rugby grand finals, World Cups and Wallabies tours together for a decade. Don't be surprised if there's one more sneaky call from Larkham to try to convince Smith to join the Brumbies.

Smith has signed a two-year deal with French club Lyon and wants a break before moving his family to France after three years of non-stop rugby around the world. The Brumbies won't have a replacement for Pocock, who had his second knee reconstruction in 12 months, before the game against the NSW Waratahs.

Canberra's premier horse race, the Black Opal, is on the cusp of reaching Group 3 status if the results stack up at Thoroughbred Park on Sunday.

But it appears the Canberra Guineas, at the same meeting, has beaten it to the punch. In a clever piece of sponsorship, race five on Sunday has been named the Group One Canberra Guineas. The Guineas is a listed race, but well below a group 1 race, like the Melbourne Cup. But this year the Guineas is sponsored by Canberra construction company Group One. Canberra Racing's decision to put its two biggest race meetings together – the Black Opal and Canberra Cup – three years ago has proved a hit.

The day continues to get bigger, including hosting Sunday night's Australian Racing Hall of Fame dinner at the National Gallery in Canberra. We're sworn to secrecy, but there promises to be a special dinner guest. Despite the long face, you can rest assured he'll be happy.

From Canberra to the bright lights of Las Vegas – that's the remarkable journey facing boxer Steve Lovett as he competes at one of the most famous arenas his sport has to offer. The 28-year-old will take to the ring at the MGM Grand at the US gambling mecca on Sunday as part of the undercard for the Canelo Alvarez v Alfredo Angulo junior middleweight main event.

Lovett has a perfect 7-0 record with 5 KO, but was struggling to get fights in Australia. He takes on Joe Jones (4-0, 3 KO) in his first bout in nearly 12 months. Lovett has only been in the US for six weeks and is working with Hall of Fame trainer Ronnie Shields, a man who has guided heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield to the top. Unfortunately for Canberra fight fans, Lovett's bout won't be televised, but a win will earn him greater opportunities in the US.

The Brumbies and Waratahs share an intense rivalry, but it dates back to well before Super Rugby started in 1996. The Brumbies were considered NSW rejects when professional rugby started. They will go head-to-head at Canberra Stadium on Saturday.

To get in the mood, ACT rugby will host a 20-year reunion of the ACT Kookaburras' historic victory over NSW in 1994. Stephen Larkham, Joe Roff, Rod Kafer and Geoff Didier will be among the guests. The win was Roff's first game for the Kookaburras, scoring two tries and kicking goals to almost single-handedly lift the ACT to victory.

IF you see a giant soccer ball floating over the skies of Canberra next week you're not going crazy. It's a promotion as part of next year's Asian Cup football tournament featuring in the city.

The Asian Cup local organising committee has teamed up with the ACT Government to bring a giant football balloon from the US for the Canberra Balloon Spectacular. It kicked off on Saturday and continues until Sunday, March 16. Balloons will launch from the lawns of Old Parliament House from 6.30am-7am each morning.

Canberra will host seven games of the Asian Cup, including a quarter-final, at Canberra Stadium.

Royals rugby club is hoping for some luck of the Irish for their pre-season tour to Ireland. The Phillip-based club raised more than $70,000 to book in a three-game tour or Ireland for 30 players and six coaches.

More than 40 Canberra businesses jumped on board with Royals to play against Galwegians in Galway on Tuesday, Dolphin in Cork on Thursday and Carlow in Carlow next week.

Irish ambassador to Australia Noel White heard about their tour, which includes a game against his former home-town club Carlow, and invited the Royals squad to dinner at the Irish embassy. Royals will arrive back in Canberra two weeks before the start of the capital's premier rugby competition.

"It became clear Noel is a huge rugby fan and was even more excited that a local team was travelling to Ireland," tour organiser Kieran Grealish said. Royals will also celebrate St Patrick's Day in Dublin. Check out the Royals' Facebook page or website www.royalsrugby.com.au for tour updates.