Who said sport and politics don’t mix?

Well, they certainly do in Canberra. So much so that the Brumbies have announced that they will be screening all the Australian federal election coverage “ahead of and during our Super Rugby fixture against the NSW Waratahs”.

John Howard would be proud.

Former Prime Minister John Howard shakes hands with the Wallabies following their 28-7 win over the All Blacks in Sydney. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wilson/ALLSPORT

The Brumbies made the announcement on Friday afternoon.

“Dubbed as Canberra’s biggest election watch party, the Slab next to the South Stand at GIO Stadium will show vote counts live as they start to become official from around 7pm,” a Brumbies media release read.

“Australians head to vote tomorrow up and down the country, with polling stations open from 8am-6pm local time.
 
“There will also be a couple of live crosses to election coverage on the big screen at half-time.
 
“Given our big match against the Waratahs falls on election night, we’re keen to ensure members and fans are able to keep track of the election results without missing the game, should they wish to,” Brumbies general manager of business operations & commercial Gavin Hunt said.

How very thoughtful indeed. How very Canberra.

The Brumbies have announced they will show the Australian federal election during their crunch Australian Super Rugby derby against the Waratahs. Photo: Brumbies Media

Waratahs coach Dan McKellar, meanwhile, will have other things on his mind, including how to get his side’s season back on track.

The Waratahs slipped out of the top six last week despite not playing, with the Hurricanes leapfrogging McKellar’s side after upsetting the Brumbies in Canberra.

But off the back of their previous defeat in Lautoka, Fiji, McKellar was quick to deliver a shot to his side about the expectations of being a professional player after indulging a bit too much during their stay, including at the buffet.

“It’s an individual thing,” McKellar said. “It’s making sure there’s no distractions to allow you to go out there and perform at the level that you want to perform at.

“There’s different things. You’re in a hotel, there’s a buffet sitting around. If you want to over-eat and sleep in until 11 o’clock and be a little bit lethargic, then that’ll flow into your performance.

“So we’re doing a lot of work around just really making sure that our individual routine and schedule is where it needs to be.”

McKellar has welcomed back several big names for the clash, including captain Jake Gordon who has been sidelined since March with a knee-injury. Fellow Wallabies Angus Bell, Taniela Tupou and Rob Leota also are back after being rested.

Gordon isn’t going anywhere either, with The Roar revealing earlier in the week that the Test No.9 had all but agreed to terms on a new two-year deal with the Waratahs.

After wrestling with the decision for months, Gordon told reporters on Friday that he had “unfinished business” to achieve in Australian rugby.

“It’s probably because over the last sort of two years, probably stemming back from Toulon when that didn’t happen and when Eddie was still here at the time, I was definitely open to the opportunity to see what was out there,” Gordon said.

“Then those conversations with Perpignan happened pretty quickly, following that, and a little bit’s changed from probably last time I was looking to go offshore.

“I really enjoyed my time with the Wallabies last year and really enjoyed my time with Joe. He was really good for my development at Test level and, yeah, I see the opportunity we have here too.”

Jake Gordon is back for the Waratahs after missing the past six weeks. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

It means his deputy Teddy Wilson might spend a bit longer on the bench.

McKellar, however, reiterated that he saw the Junior Wallabies skipper as the “future” at the club.

“Nothing changes with Ted. He’s the future,” McKellar said on Thursday. “I’ve had quiet, private conversations with him around that, and I’ll talk to him and his family again. We want him here for the next 10 years.”

The Brumbies are also coming off a defeat, but they’ll also be keen to make a statement against their Australian rivals after slipping up in Sydney earlier this year.

While McKellar has made several changes, Stephen Larkham has made just the one change to his XV with Rory Scott starting ahead of Luke Reimer.