Serious question: if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, would you watch a variation of rugby league this time of year?
We know you would if you live in England. You did it for 100 years. Scores from a number of festive friendlies will be coming through as you read this.
But in Australia and New Zealand would you support a nines circuit? And, specifically, what sort of circuit?
Nines is seen as the great potential area of expansion for our sport. I’ve written about it countless times before – how it resembles rugby league but allows teams without established stars to compete with full-time pros.
In developing countries its biggest advantage is you don’t need to be able to rustle up 13 or 17 players.
But things are now finally moving. We have an international nines likely to be played in an Australian city at the start of the 2019 Lions tour of the Pacific. Rugby league nines will hold its second Commonwealth Championship to tie in with a Commonwealth Games next year at Redcliffe.
So the question is how to manage the expansion of nines. What should the objectives be? Should the focus be on clubs or provinces or countries? Should the sport start small and build up or will we require significant investment from the get-go with all the bells and whistles?
I’ll declare an interest – though definitely not a financial one. For the last six months I’ve been networking with people who are interested in developing nines.
(AAP Image/Paul Miller)
One of these is a fellow called Graham ‘Jumbo’ Oliphant, who runs the London Nines and has designs on an international circuit. He’s quit his job to focus on his dreams. Others are interested in financing, broadcasting and sponsoring whatever pops up.
The fact is that there are already nines tournaments played roughly every three weeks – maybe two – around the world. Rotterdam, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Queenstown – often much nicer places than our club games are played!
But they have no link. They don’t share sponsors or even information. They may not even be played under the same rules. That just seems daft.
If these tournaments were to be broadcast and get a decent social media push behind them, would you watch without the product itself being enhanced? Would you take an interest in Dutch and Serbian and New South Wales Southern Highlands players having a run in the NRL offseason?
Or would you only take an interest if it’s the big names you know? Or if it’s young up-and-comers and blokes who’ve just retired? Do you want clubs or national teams or maybe provinces?
Would you care if every tournament involves completely different teams? Or would you need the same teams to back up from one tournament to another?
How big a difference would it make to you if the teams were attached to NRL clubs? Would you go down to your local stadium for a summer beer and a jolly but not bother watching on TV or online?
In short, what would make a nines circuit work for you, and what would ensure you’d take zero interest?
This stuff is happening, people. It’s just a matter of figuring out how it’s going to happen, how it should happen.
The more people who have their say on all this, the better the product should end up being.
razamatazbaz01
Guest
Would lov to see if blockers on first tackle after kick offs works in 9s. I know this is a gridiron thing but i love end to end trys.
stu
Guest
I acknowledged that , but the point was that he stated it was a circus and I pointed out the fact that rugby league would love to have a circus that successful. In fact I believe RLIF is looking at setting up something similar.
Mushi
Guest
But wasn't the question posed to the, presumably, Australian audience "would you watch it"?
BeastieBoy
Guest
id be interested in a yearly funky Work Cup Nines tournament played in our summer and would support a Australian Indigenous and Country Cockatoos Teams in that comp if it was played weekly and available at reasonable hours to watch in exotic places around the world. I think if handled right it would be quite a buzz. Start with a feed into the No2 channels of say free to air or on the internet. From those 2 teams some stars may develop.
James
Guest
That can't be true for most people. A league ratings plummeted during the League World Cup, and their crowds fell significantly. There's hunger for rugby league. I agree, we need a break from the NRL - but not from rugby league.
James
Guest
It's not the NRL. People need to take a break from the NRL not from rugby league. I get sick and tired of the rubbish dished out by the NRL, but another competition, i'd happily watch - especially a shorter, more exciting version of the sport such as the 9's.
BA Sports
Guest
It also benefits Sky Sports to have it opposite the EPL, not running at the same time.
stu
Guest
While you are right that rugby sevens does not get a high tv audience in Australia , rugby league would love to have a nines circus like rugby sevens. It may have had minimal impact in Australia but since becoming an olympic sport rugby has grown the sport of rugby globally. In 2016 rugby had increased its playing base by 500,000 in a year taking the total number now playing the sport to 7.7 m. Womens rugby is the fastest growing area with approximately 35% off all players The inclusion of the rugby circus as you call it into the Olympics has has seen millions of dollars invested by national olympic committees into the sport, it has been included into the school curriculum in Russia and China.A large commerce powerhouse (Alibaba) has invested 100 million dollars over io years and is working with the Chinese government to develop participation in both sevens and 15 aside rugby. In America one of the largest sporting nations rugby is one of the fastest growing sports and NBC became interested when rugby became an olympic sport, they now televise rugby sevens, internationals in America, Collegiate Championships and some overseas premiership rugby. HSBC who sponsor the sevens has predicted that world rugby participation will double in 10 years time and 40% will be female, Not bad to have a so called circus promote the sport to this extent.
Justin Kearney
Guest
Nice response Riley. What a pity 'andrew' has such poor knowledge about our great game!
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
Sorry, I forgot that rugby league is only played in NSW, Queensland and NZ. For some reason I thought there were domestic competitions thriving all around the world. I must be imagining a 15-team region wide competition in the Balkans and domestic scene in Lebanon. The earth is flat.
M20
Guest
I'd love it. Especially if it had teams representing regions currently not in the NRL like central Qld, WA and SA
Gavin
Guest
It changed to summer during the Super League war. I may be wrong, but I doubt it will go back to winter. I agree it buggered the tours.
Gavin
Guest
What about making long range trys worth more, say 5 points from inside your own 50 and 6 points from inside your own 20. Would encourage more ball movement.
Andrew
Guest
Riley what countries are going to play if the Aussies and kiwis from the NRL arent playing and wont play for them?
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
People are saying the rugby league season is too long and to that I have to disagree. The NRL season is too long but the international season too short. What we need is a global calendar, reduce NRL and Super League to 22 rounds + finals (no Super 8s) and expand the international calendar. New RLIF rule: each nation must have played at least 9 tests (possibly 12) in the three years preceding the World Cup in order to qualify. Encourage REGULAR regional competition: Euro Championships with pro/rel during the 'mid-season', Pacific Cup competitions, Americas Cup, Balkans Cup, Nordic Cup, etc. You can then add Nines circuits under the guise of the RLIF. Regional competitions in Balkans, North America, Western Europe with a global 3-4 week series played in UK, AUS/NZ, USA/CAN, EU.
McNaulty
Guest
Yes, I would watch. I like Paul Greens idea of having new clubs, but allowing joint venture ownership of those clubs between two NRL clubs. I would vary the rules somewhat to enhance the entertainment. Firstly, plug the middle so that hit ups (and momentum) aren't so easy (even in nines the temptation to take a one out hit up is big). Plug the middle by allowing three "markers" who can defend anywhere behind the advantage line i.e. they don't have to be square. This allows the defense to defend their own territory, forces the attack to throw the ball around more and produces a slightly more staggered defensive line - which would again lead to nice passing plays. Secondly, instead of 'drop goal' attempted conversions, have a variation of the point after touch down that they have in american football. That is, have a play the ball from in front of the uprights where they can either convert a drop goal for 1 or run the ball for a 2 point try. Obviously allowing the opposition to defend the play.
Nat
Roar Guru
Haha I'm hearing you Womblat. No kids here but by March I'm struggling for conversation with the misses.
Nat
Roar Guru
Tassie could be an ideal place but they would have to pick their timing around Cricket and AFL and promote heavily. Still with FTA coverage the Tassie tourism committee could assist with sponsorship. I've been at the GC when the 7s are in town and the $ influx is huge for a perceived small event.
Greg Ambrose
Guest
I'd watch it but wouldn't want any first grade players to be involved and risk injuries. Good place to see some unknown players show their talent and maybe some recently retired NRL stars.
Mosquito
Guest
24-26 rounds , Final 8, SOO, internationals, 4 nations, Nines, All Stars - surely this is why crowds have dropped if TV ratings haven't