A THREE-weekend US National Nines Championship featuring several previously unknown teams and carrying prize money will be held this year in Nevada.
It’s understood California-based officials will announce today an “opening weekend” of Nines play in Winnemucca on October 1, followed by a Women’s National Championship and a men’s Western Championship – held together in the same city on October 22.
The men’s national Nines champions will then be crowned following a two-day event in Elko, Nevada on November 12 and 13th.
Teams listed as competing in the Western Division men’s championship are: Dead Pelicans, Sacramento Immortals, North Bay Warriors, Utah Saints, Utah Seagulls, San Francisco Savage, Razorbacks, Provo Steelers, Sin City Islanders and LA Alphas.
For the Women’s National Championship, Pelicans, Immortals, Razorbacks and Seagulls will be joined by twice London Nines champions Roots Rugby and reigning Naples Nines champions Carolina Storm.
Four teams will be added to the Western men’s sides to make up the National Championships. Three of them are Monte Gaddis’ Cleveland Rugby League, Roots and Carolina. One is yet to be named.
Significantly, there will be $10,000 prize money to the men’s winners and $7000 to the women – perhaps the first winners’ purses ever offered in American rugby league.
And the CRL is taking its cue from Mike Dimitro’s 1953 American All Stars by bringing in two overseas coaches, yet to be named, to teach the finer points of the game on the opening weekend.
