There’s been a lot of recent speculation in the media about the possibility of an NRL Nines tournament being held each year in Auckland.
The tournament would involve teams from all sixteen NRL clubs and would take place each year in February.
It is likely to be hosted at Eden Park, although Mt. Smart Stadium has not been ruled out.
As at the time of writing, a decision on the tournament has not been made by the NRL.
According to media reports, the proposal has been put to the CEOs of the clubs, who are considering it as we speak.
The only issue appears to be the exact dates for kick off.
The tournament has financial backing from local government and the full support of local rugby league identities, must notably the owners of the Warriors, who believe the tournament will further increase the profile of the sport.
The tournaments’ promoters are Dean Lonergan, a former Kiwis international forward, and businessman David Higgins.
According to an article in the New Zealand Herald, the promoters believe the tournament will rival, or even eclipse the IRB Wellington 7s.
I agree. The potential is there for the Nines to upset the shortened-game applecart in New Zealand.
But even if the proposed tournament doesn’t eclipse the 7s, the very concept of it represents another promoter’s masterstroke on behalf of Lonergan and Higgins.
Higgins may not be the public figure Lonergan is, but he is obviously a highly astute businessman, given his business success in boxing promotions.
As for Lonergan, it’s not often one talks about genius when referring to a former second rower, especially one famously hit by Steve Roach in 1991, but the big man is fast becoming the Don King of Australasian sports.
If the two of them can pull this one off, it would represent a major coup for rugby league in New Zealand.
The NRL Nines concept is genius for a number of reasons. First it unashamedly piggy-backs on the increasing profile and acceptance in the New Zealand and Australian markets of truncated sports like T20 and 7s.
Somehow, the timing seems perfect too. Talk of a Nines tournament five years ago would have been dismissed as absurd, but not now.
Secondly, I am sure there are a lot of Aucklanders, like myself, who’ve had the the Wellington 7s on their bucket list but for one reason or another have never really got around to going. The Nines will now cater for these people.
Rugby league doesn’t often figure in the equation when the IRB makes a decision, but I believe (with the benefit of hindsight) that the IRB made a mistake in renewing the contract with Wellington in 2011 for another five years.
Unwittingly they opened up Auckland for the taking. What they should have done (in hindsight, again), is rotate the 7s between Wellington and Auckland.
A key factor in the success of the Nines is that it must be hosted at Eden Park, and not Mt. Smart Stadium. Not only is Eden Park double the capacity, but it has the prestige of being the spiritual home of New Zealand sport.
An Eden Park tournament sounds far more inviting than a Mt. Smart one, especially to people who would not normally pay to watch a rugby league event.
It will be interesting to see the development of Nines in the future. The main difference between the Nines concept and the 7s one is that the 7s is played by international teams, while the Nines is a club concept at present.
That fact will restrict it’s ability to expand Grand Prix style outside of New Zealand and Australia, but with Lonergan and Higgins involved, you just never know.
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