Canberra's two premier sporting teams got a taste of what life could be like when they played at the $350 million stadium in Parramatta last weekend.

Both games drew modest crowds of more than 12,000, but the atmosphere they generated was a reminder about how far Canberra Stadium has fallen behind the rest of the sporting infrastructure around Australia.

Barr knows it and he got a front-row seat to the ACT Brumbies' win against the NSW Waratahs at the new Parramatta venue on Saturday night.

He has spent almost a decade touring the world looking at stadiums, doing the numbers and trying to find the appropriate land in Civic.

In fact, Barr has been to about 25 stadiums in different countries to try to get the right vibe for reinvigorating Canberra's sporting landscape. The stops have included Dunedin, Melbourne, Adelaide, Singapore and Parramatta among others.

But even now there's still no clear vision for Canberra. There's no timeline. There's no investment. The only thing plainly obvious is Canberra Stadium is out of date and a venue in Civic is the way to go.

The big issues with Canberra Stadium are the lack of undercover seating, the distance from seats to the action and the isolated location.

MORE CANBERRA SPORT

So maybe it was lucky Barr was sitting next to an architect from the company which designed and built the new venue at Parramatta.

That man was former NSW and Wallabies prop Al Baxter, who knew all the ins and outs of what it took to build the newest stadium in Australia.

It's the blueprint for how a new stadium could be built on the site of the Civic pool. Its steep grandstands suit the small parcel land available in the city.

One option being considered to avoid extra costs of moving Parkes Way is to build up and over the main road. It would also connect the city to Lake Burley Griffin.

Barr is still concerned about the grass, especially if the proposed new stadium has a roof. How will the grass grow without direct sunlight?

Other stadiums around the world use growlights on their grass, and when you're spending close to $400 million you need to make sure every small detail is correct.

The benefit is being able to host marquee rugby league content, potential rugby World Cup games in 2027, the British and Irish Lions tour in 2025, securing an A-League licence, international soccer and concerts.

It's time to pull the trigger and get the project rolling again, especially now that the expensive light rail and Mr Fluffy costs have been accounted for.

If Barr doesn't do so soon, it could be too late for the Canberra Raiders and the Brumbies.

The Raiders have done a brilliant job in creating a new match-day experience at an ageing venue, reconnecting with fans and making the ticket about more than a game.

"I really hope [Barr] he does look fondly upon building this fairly soon. Our fans definitely need it," Stuart said of the new Parramatta stadium.

"I know Andrew Barr's all about Canberra and I really hope the decision is made that we build this stadium very, very soon because I think we deserve it as this nation's capital."

McKellar added: "I second what Ricky said. I think [Parramatta] is a great stadium. I think Andrew Barr was here, hopefully he thinks about that in the future."

The Brumbies will host their last game of the season this weekend hoping to attract enough people to avoid their lowest average crowd in Super Rugby history.

They also privately fear the financial cost of hosting a home semi-final next week given the low crowd numbers. If people don't turn up, it could cost them $100,000.

A new stadium would help ease the concerns both clubs have. At the same time, it's not a silver bullet for problems, especially for the Brumbies.

The once mighty Super Rugby club used to be able to fill Canberra Stadium on the coldest of nights. But Crowds have been disappearing for a decade.

If ever there was a time to jump on the bandwagon, it's now. McKellar has developed a side capable of being a genuine title contender this season. They will be aiming for their seventh consecutive home win when they play the Queensland Reds on Saturday night.

They also have a chance to win six games in a row for the first time since 2007.

Brumbies staff members should spend this week on the phone selling their good news to former members who, for several reasons, walked away over the years.

A new stadium, even if it's just a plan for one, gives them something extra to sell for the future. "The style of stadium at Parramatta is ideal for Canberra," said Brumbies chief executive Phil Thomson.

"We're not getting that nice feel in Canberra. A new stadium would help us in what we're trying to do. It would help the Raiders and a new soccer team. I understand the challenges of a government, but I think for the good of Canberra we need to work together to make it happen."