Australian rugby is about to usher in a new era built on, in the short-term at least, interstate rivalries and rule changes designed to make rugby union more exciting.

Yet how changes will be received by fans remains one of the great mysteries as the Super Rugby AU campaign gets underway in what looms as one for the true believers.

Only time will tell us if the Brumbies can add a third championship to the cabinet at the University of Canberra as they prepare to host the Melbourne Rebels in round one at Canberra Stadium on Saturday.

Debate will rage as to whether the champions of a five-team competition will forever have an asterisk next to their name in the record books. So too chatter about whether a title in this iteration of the tournament means as much as it did in years gone by.

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But it is the highest level of competition available to the premier players in Australia, and the smile on Allan Alaalatoa's face at the Brumbies' captain's run suggests it means everything to the playing group.

And in reality it is giving rugby fans more of what they have been demanding. We have Australian derbies. That means, to borrow a line from the 13-man code, state against state, mate against mate. But there can be too much of a good thing, so does a five-team tournament risk growing stale?

Constant derbies mean genuine feeling in rivalries. It means Wallabies shootouts every week. It means former teammates throwing cheeky jabs at each other like we've seen in the lead up to round one.

Matt To'omua is preparing for his 100^th game at the top level and he will do it where it all began in Canberra, where he sat alongside Stirling Mortlock on a flight in his rookie year and didn't sleep a wink "because I was terrified of him".

But he won't have it easy against a side which won five of its six games, including one over the Rebels, before the Super Rugby competition was suspended following the COVID-19 outbreak.

"I want to do everything I can to ruin his day," Alaalatoa said.

"I almost thought he was here on a holiday because he has been down at Federal golf course every day. I hope he has applied the same amount of time to his kicking as his golf game, he's going to need that."

To'omua will be among those looking to capitalise on a major rule change dubbed the 50-22 - if a player kicks the ball into touch on the bounce from inside their own half to opposition 22, the kicking team gets the line out.

It mirrors rugby league's 40-22, and it isn't alone in that category. Officials have also introduced 10 minutes of golden point extra time in the event of a draw, and a goal-line drop out if player is held up in goal or defender knocks on instead of five-metre scrum.

The NRL used its shutdown period to find ways to speed up the game, and they did so via the introduction of six more tackles rather than a penalty for ruck infringements and a return to one on-field referee. The changes were met with frustration early but quickly became lauded by fans after giving power to the little man.

Sure, we are little more than 24 hours removed from an NRL clash between Sydney and Melbourne which has been praised as an all-time classic. But not all rule changes are good.

The AFL sliced quarters back to 16 minutes when the competition restarted and a range of dour affairs have seen punters and coaches grow frustrated.

Alaalatoa hopes rugby union's changes can have a positive impact like they have in rugby league - and he has been watching plenty of it to get a taste of what life might be like this weekend in front of the 1500 true believers allowed in.

"I've been watching the league games and there is no crowd out there. A lot of our boys are putting those pictures in their own mind to get used to playing in front of no one," Alaalatoa said.

"I thought it was going to be weird, but for us to play in front of a small group of people is huge. Hopefully by our next home game some restrictions are lifted and we can play in front of a small group of fans."

Rugby fans are getting what they have been crying out for. Will they answer the call?

SUPER RUGBY AU ROUND ONE

Saturday: ACT Brumbies v Melbourne Rebels at Canberra Stadium, 7.15pm

Brumbies: 1. James Slipper, 2. Folau Faingaa, 3. Allan Alaalatoa, 4. Darcy Swain, 5. Murray Douglas, 6. Rob Valetini, 7. Tom Cusack, 8. Pete Samu, 9. Joe Powell, 10. Noah Lolesio, 11. Tom Wright, 12. Irae Simone, 13. Tevita Kuridrani, 14. Andy Muirhead, 15. Mack Hansen. Reserves. 16. Connal McInerney, 17. Scott Sio, 18. Tom Ross, 19. Tom Cusack, 20. Lachlan McCaffrey, 21. Issak Fines, 22. Bayley Kuenzle, 23. Len Ikitau.

Rebels: 1. Matt Gibbon, 2. Jordan Uelese, 3. Pone Fa'amausili, 4. Matt Philip, 5. Michael Stolberg, 6. Josh Kemeny, 7. Richard Hardwick, 8. Michael Wells, 9. Ryan Louwrens, 10. Matt To'omua, 11. Marika Koroibete, 12. Billy Meakes, 13. Reece Hodge, 14. Andrew Kellaway, 15. Dane Haylett-Petty. Reserves: 16. Efitusi Maafu, 17. Cameron Orr, 18. Jermaine Ainsley, 19. Trevor Hosea, 20. Esei Haangana, 221. Rob Leota, 22. Frank Lomani, 23. Andrew Deegan.