The ACT Brumbies will dip their toe in the Asian market next month after striking multi-year deal to play in Singapore as Australian clubs attempt to break new ground overseas.
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The Brumbies will play an exhibition game against the Asian Barbarians on June 22, which will double as a warm up for what they hope will be a charge to the Super Rugby finals.
News of the Singapore deal comes just two weeks after the Port Adelaide and the Gold Coast Suns played an AFL premiership match in China for the first time in the competition's history.
The Brumbies had been keen to explore opportunities in China as well, but a direct flight from Canberra to Singapore paved the way to play at the Singapore National Stadium for the next three years.
Brumbies chief executive Michael Thomson said it was unlikely the club would shift a Super Rugby home game to Singapore as the franchise focuses on consolidating support in Canberra.
But it is hoped the Brumbies' Singapore initiative, which is supported by the Visit ACT, the ACT business chamber and Tourism Australia, will open the door for sponsorship and corporate opportunities to bolster the club's Super Rugby future.
The Brumbies on track for a significant financial turnaround this year after losing more than $3 million in the past three years.
It's a timely boost as the ARU attempts to axe one of its five Super Rugby franchises, with the Western Force and Melbourne Rebels fighting for survival.
"We're looking to have this partnership with Singapore for the next three years and build on it," Thomson said.
"Firstly we're about Canberra and southern NSW and this is where we want to stay. But we hope the following years get bigger and bigger in Singapore.
"You never say never to any of these things [including move a home game], but playing an exhibition game is the start of what we hope is a strong partnership.
"It opens up a new market for us, provides us with an opportunity to strengthen relationships with some key partners and could give us an opportunity to access some new partners."
Australian Super Rugby has been engulfed by an internal war which has dragged on for almost six months.
The ARU moved the Brumbies off the Super Rugby chopping block in April, leaving the Force and the Rebels to fight for their respective futures.
Both clubs have threatened legal action and the Rebels published a statement on Friday night saying owner Andrew Cox was not prepared to sell the licence back to the ARU.
The Brumbies are pushing ahead with their plans on and off the field, with a new coach expected to be announced in the coming weeks while sponsorship negotiations progress.
The Brumbies, who played the Southern Kings in South Africa on Sunday morning, lead the Australian conference and fullback Aidan Toua said a two-game overseas tour was an escape from the ARU drama.
Toua is among a group of players who cannot officially sign a new contract until the ARU makes a final decision on which team will be jettisoned.
"I think this tour has come at a pretty good time for us," Toua said.
"Rugby in Australia is getting a lot of negative attention with everything going on. So it's a good time for us as a group to get away and get tighter as a group. It's a chance to concentrate on us without the external noise."
The Brumbies will spend almost a week in Singapore with ACT government and University of Canberra officials set to join the tour.
The Brumbies have also been working to secure their sponsors for the coming years and have progressed talks with corporate partners after being guarantees on their future.
"We've got a population base of roughly one million people in Canberra and the surrounding regions," Thomson said.
"To have the opportunity to access larger economies in Singapore or China is definitely appealing to us. We'll always stay a Canberra team, but if we don't explore these opportunities we limit our growth potential."
