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 cricket,” said Johnson. “We’re already a fast, exciting, user-friendly game for TV. We don’t necessarily have to create a shorter version of it.
“But having said that, Nines is something I believe is under-exploited and I believe there’s an opportunity to develop Nines and we’re looking at whether there are other ways of creating excitement.
“But at its heart, I think the game of rugby league – the 13-a-side game – is still one of the best versions of sport that there is. It’s fast and exciting and I don’t believe that you need to make radical changes to the format of it in order to grow.
“What I think we need to do is create more space in the calendar to be able o try new ways of playing – new games, new versions, new excitement – and I think that would be something that’s worth exploring.
“(Cricket’s) The Hundred has been very successful. Other sports have tried shorter versions with mixed levels of success.
“But if there’s something that’s under-exploited, it is Nines and I’d like to create space in the calendar to try and develop that.”
On an earlier episode of the show, Hull FC owner Adam Pearson said plans were already afoot for a ‘Nines festival” in Super League as soon as next year.
