The Brumbies continued their training on Wednesday for the first time since the death of their team mate Shawn Mackay in Durban on sunday.

There will be a minute’s applause before their match against the Stormers on Saturday, while the players will wear black armbands for the rest of the season.

Mackay, 26, died in a Durban hospital as a result of complications stemming from injuries he sustained when he was hit by a car following the Brumbies’ loss to the Sharks in South Africa almost two weeks ago.

Captain Stephen Hoiles, who had been at primary school with Mackay, said on Wednesday that the shock had not subsided in many cases and that the rest of the season would be played in Mackay’s honour.

“Everyone’s doing it pretty tough, which is understandable,” he said to AAP.

“I’ve been thinking about it a fair bit, they’re the tough times … and that will continue for a long, long time.

“This group’s got an enormous amount of character, and my gut feeling is that after speaking to a few guys, that everyone really wants to play,” he added, in response to the suggestion that some of the players may not be willing to play because of their distress.

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