THE year-opening Rarotonga Nines has been reduced from three days to two. Under 18s are being added to the men’s and women’s events at BCU Stadium this year and the tournament was to kick off on Thursday. However, it has now being reported that the event will run for only two days, presumably Friday and Saturday. The competing men’s teams…
SHAUN Wane’s England could be involved a mid-season European Nines tournament the year after next, under a proposal released today. European Rugby League (ERL) is seeking tenders for the hosting of the tournament, which it has pencilled it for mid-summer 2023. In the bid prospectus, England is one of the countries listed as being a competing nation. There is no…
By ROBERT BURGIN BOGOTA Armadillos took the honours as rugby league returned to Colombia last weekend, taking out a national Nines tournament in an event where two teams travelled a 2000km round trip. Following two days of action, the men’s competition boiled down to the Armadillos from the capital – boasting the greatest depth of any club in Colombia –…
By ROBERT BURGIN RUGBY league returns to Colombia for the first time in two years, as the town of Funza hosts a Nines tournament this weekend. Five male and two female teams will contest the two-day event, 22km west of the national capital Bogota. While some sporadic training has taken place during the COVID-19 pandemic, no official games have been…
VANUATU takes centre stage in the Nines universe this weekend while in Papua New Guinea an elaborate mini-season of the abbreviated form of rugby league has been announced. All stops have been pulled out for the island of Espiritu Santo to hold the Luganville Nines on Saturday, with teams from neighbouring Malo island competing and an administrative team flying in…
IN a major step forward for the abbreviated version of rugby league, the new French season will kick off with two entire weekends of Nines matches played at six venues. This weekend, Villeneuve, Carcassonne and Avignon will host matches while next weekend it will be the turn of St Gaudens, St Esteve and Limoux. The elite one season will commence…
Rugby Football League chairman Simon Johnson has given his opinion of Nines and the role they may play for the sport in Britain. Speaking on the BBC Rugby League podcast, Johnson said that the abbreviated version of rugby league was a significantly factor as his organisation looks to overhaul the sport in the months and years ahead “We’re different to…
ON the same day Catalans secured Super League’s minor premiership, Tokyo French Crusaders were crowned the first champions of a new Japanese Nines tournament. The Riverside Nines comprised five rugby union clubs as well as hosts Abiko Ducks and was the result of years of hard work by New Zealander David Canham. And a few hours before James Maloney’s extra-time…
Next year’s Super League season will include a mid-season ‘Nines festival”, according to Hull owner Adam Pearson. Speaking on the BBC Rugby League Podcast, Pearson stressed the need for the British game to come up with a new format for a younger audience – although he said in his mind, this would be third variant of the sport and not…
The Sepik Nines for 2021 have been confirmed for November 4-6 at Pora Oval in Wewak. Organisers have extended an invitation to every team in Papua New Guinea for the second staging of the event. Twenty men’s teams took part last year, with QPR Colts of Port Moresby taking the title. Meanwhile, a successful tournament in New Ireland was recently…
