The ACT Brumbies, featuring Bomaderry's Harriet Elleman, have joined the fight against childhood cancer by teaming up with club great and a Wallabies World Cup hero in Owen Finegan.

Finegan is the chief executive of the Kids' Cancer Project, and the organisation has launched a 'Better Challenge' which has seen people from across Australia sign up to run, ride, walk or roll 90 kilometres in September as part of childhood cancer awareness month.

Brumbies players and staff have taken on the challenge to add another element to their pre-season schedules, with funds being invested in scientific research to find kinder, more effective, better treatments for children with cancer.

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"It's a bit of a shame COVID has hit across Australia. The Brumbies are helping us raise awareness. Initially they were going to be doing a 90 kilometres in a day relay with all their players and their staff," Finegan said.

"Obviously with restrictions and COVID, some of the team and staff have joined the Better challenge.

"We've been amazed by the response. We've had over 3500 people participate. To date they have walked around the circumference of Australia 10 times and they have raised over $800,000 towards childhood cancer research."

Finegan says the challenge will allow the Kids' Cancer Project to fund eight research projects across Australia geared towards better treatment options, new pipelines of drugs, and better access to clinical trials and treatments.

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"We're also looking at funding two late effects programs which work on a better quality of life and better survivorship," Finegan said.

"If you looked 50 years ago, survival rates were two in 10. Now they're eight in 10, so we have to make sure we get better treatments, better cures, and better survivorship for the kids afterwards.

"When they talk about survival in cancer, they talk about five years. For a 75-year-old, five years might be worthwhile. But when you're talking about a five-year-old ... it's not what we want."

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