AN influx of teams from outside North America has begun for the NRL Vegas Nines next year. The tournament, which took its bow at the end of February 2024, is expanding as well as moving to a new venue Silver Bowl Park. In 2024, the tournament was contested entirely by North American entrants but the NRL has been drip feeding…
THE NRL has announced details of the Vegas Nines for next year, with a new venue to be used. The tournament, which made its bow in 2024 to complement the opening round NRL games at Allegiant Stadium, will be held on February 27 and 28 at Silverbowl Park instead of Desert Breeze Park. Desert Breeze Park was more like Desert…
PACIFIC Coast Rugby League has announced the Santa Rosa Nines for Saturday, May 25. Following the success of the NRL-run Vegas Nines in March, the concept has spread back to California where the tournament will be held on the doorstep of the national men’s 13-a-side champion Dead Pelicans club. While no venue has been announced, the likely location is For…
WHEN Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka took the first Fiji team to the World Sevens in 1992, there was no rugby league at all in the island nation. When Skipper Nuilevu arrived in Sacramento 26 years later as a first generation domestic Fijian rugby league player, there was none there either. So like the General, he started it. “The club started back in…
SUCH is the scope of rugby league’s gathering of the tribes in Las Vegas this week that when Matty Barron coached Ontario Ospreys to victory in the women’s division of the NRL Nines, the man who introduced him to rugby league in north-east England 25 years ago just happened to be in the crowd. The Ospreys downed fellow Canadians BC…
CAPTAIN-coach or player-coach is a dying – but still present – role in rugby league. But player-CEO? Former Queensland State of Origin star and England international Chris McQueen made his return to playing yesterday at the Las Vegas Nines, representing Brooklyn Kings. He almost played for the Kings when the ill-fated NARL was floated a couple of years ago. Now…
THE Las Vegas Nines, to be run by the NRL next month, may become a global event in future years, feeding spectator numbers at the annual premiership double-header there. The Australasian league has signed a five year deal with local authorities to take two matches annually to the so-called entertainment capital of the world. The Nines tournament is later add-on…
By CHAMPIONSHIP RUGBY LEAGUE WITH the most rugby league players ever assembled in the one location at one time in this country, the USA National 9s successfully opened the door on Stateside potential. The host city Winnemucca was the perfect backdrop for the 10 hours of rugby league played by over 200 athletes. With the perfect blue skies and mountains…
