Our guide to the Rugby League 9s
Rugby League 9s will make a return on Tuesday, May 29 as this version of the sport, dubbed as Rugby League’s version of Twenty20 cricket, gets underway.
The Rugby League 9s competition was launched last season on the back of the successful Carnegie Floodlit Nines and Northern Rail Nines tournaments.
Warrington ran away with the tournament, defeating Cumbria in the final at Headingley Stadium in the inaugural Finals Day last year.
There have been several attempts to run a successful 9s tournament since 1883 when Batley were the first Rugby 9s winners. This was prior to the formation of the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895, and was played under rugby union rules.
In 1987 Wigan hosted two 9s events in consecutive years, however Warrington also won the British Coal 9s in 1988. The Warrington side, captained by Mike Gregory, defeated the Rest of the World 24-0 in the final. The tournament was featured on the BBC’s Sportsnight programme.
There has been an abundance of 9s tournaments since the 1990s. The Super League World 9s was a tournament which took place between 1996 and 1997, and was introduced mid-way through the Super League War in Australia to rival the ARL’s World Sevens.
New Zealand won both tournaments, but the 1996 tournament saw the video referee introduced to rugby league for the first time.
In the UK and Europe there has been the York 9s, Middesex 9s, Lezignan 9s, Cheltenhan 9s, Carnegie Floodlit 9s, and Northern Rail 9s. On the back of these successful daily and weekend festivals, the Rugby League 9s is an attempt to spread the 9s concept over a prolonged period and provide a unique version of the game to spectators across the country.
The Carnegie Floodlit 9s was a nightly festival which took place on one night mid-week in the lead up to the Challenge Cup final. The night took place at Headingley Carnegie Stadium and was also a popular format with players and spectators.
Huddersfield Giants, Hull FC and Wigan Warriors were triumphant in the Carnegie Floodlit version of 9s rugby league, while the Northern Rail 9s lasted for only two years as a build up to the Northern Rail Cup final.
Blackpool were triumphant in the inaugural tournament which took place at Fylde RU, and Bloomfield Road as a curtain raiser to the main final. Halifax won the second tournament, solely played at Fylde RU the day before the Northern Rail Cup final.
Format
This season 16 teams will once again aim to come away from Leeds victorious. They are the 13 Super League clubs (except Catalan) as well as Championship 1 new boys University of Gloucester All Gold, a Cumbria side representing the three teams of Barrow, Whitehaven and Workington, and Featherstone Rovers.
The tournament will take place over five weeks, and each team will compete in four weekly festivals before culminating in the Finals Day at Headingley.
The 16 teams will be split into two divisions, an Eastern and Western division. The top four teams from each division will compete on the Finals Day.
The teams in each division are:
Western Division
Cumbria
Gloucester All Golds
London Broncos
Salford City Reds
St Helens
Warrington Wolves
Widnes Vikings
Wigan Warriors
Eastern Division
Bradford Bulls
Castleford Tigers
Featherstone Rovers
Huddersfield Giants
Hull FC
Hull KR
Leeds Rhinos
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Four festivals will take place each week, two in each division. Each festival will consist of four teams playing each team within that festival once.
Teams may play each other numerous times throughout the competition’s league stage, but each team will play each other within their division at least once over the course of the first four weeks.
Each team will be awarded competition points based on whether they have won or drawn a match. Two points will be awarded for a win, with one point for each side in the event of a draw. Teams will receive zero points for a loss. This means a team could receive six points at the end of each festival.
Positions in each division will be calculated based on the number of competition points accumulated. Should two or more teams be level on competition points, points difference will determine the final positions between those clubs.
Rules
All matches will be played to the Laws of the Game of Rugby League as current at the time of the tournament except that:
Each team shall be permitted a squad of up to 13 players, nine of which will be on the field during play. Unlimited substitutions shall be allowed but be controlled by the fourth official. Players must make hand contact with their replacement on the touch line or behind the field of play.
Each game will consist of two 7 ½ minute halves. There will be no half time interval, but teams will have a maximum of one minute to change ends. Each half will begin with a kick travelling at least 10 metres forward and landing within the field of the play.
The hooter will sound as soon as the clock signifies 7 minutes and 30 seconds have elapsed in each half. The referee will blow his whistle to end the game when the ball is next out of play or a tackle is made successfully.
There are no scrums in 9s Rugby League. When an infringement occurs that would normally result in a scrum, i.e. a knock on or forward pass, play will be restarted with a play-the-ball at the point of the infringement. If the ball enters touch, play is restarted with a play-the-ball 20 metres in field from where the ball entered touch.
When a team is awarded a penalty then play must proceed from where the infringement took place. No kick for touch or goal is permitted.
The acting half back can run with the ball and score a try, but if he is tackled in possession the ball will be handed over to the opposition and play restarted with a play-the-ball.
The referee may sin bin or dismiss a player from the field of play if he sees fit to do so. A sin bin will last two minutes.
The Powerplay
This unique feature to 9s Rugby League was introduced last year. It proved to be popular with fans and players, so has been reintroduced this season. There have, however, been a few modifications from last season.
After scoring a try the scoring team can opt to go for a Powerplay. This is one play in an attempt to score an additional try. The Powerplay begins with a tap restart ten metres in the field of play in line with where the try was scored.
The Powerplay is over as soon as the team lose possession or infringe. If the Powerplay team are awarded a penalty during the Powerplay then play will be restarted with a tap restart and the Powerplay will continue. The referee will signal the Powerplay by circling his right hand over his head
If a team is unsuccessful in its Powerplay then play is restarted with a tap on their own 40 metre line with the non-scoring team in possession. Alternatively teams can opt to convert the try by way of a drop goal conversion, and play will always restart on half way line whether that goal successful or not with a tap by the non-scoring side.
A try in general play is worth four points, a conversion worth two points, and a drop goal is worth one point. A Powerplay try is worth four points, unlike last year when it was only worth three.
Festivals*
Tuesday, May 29
Western Division
Warrington – Wilderspool Stadium, 7.30pm
London – Aldershot Military Stadium, 6.30pm
Eastern Division
Hull KR – Craven Park, 6.30pm
Featherstone – Big Fellas Stadium, 7.30pm
Tuesday, June 5
Western Division
Workington – Derwent Park, 7.30pm
Widnes – Stobart Stadium, 7pm
Eastern Division
Castleford – Probiz Coliseum, 7pm
Leeds – Headingley Carnegie Stadium, 7pm
Tuesday, June 12
Western Division
Salford – Salford City Stadium, 7.30pm
Barrow – Craven Park, 7.30pm
Eastern Division
Hull FC – Hull FC Elite Training Centre, 7.30pm
Wakefield – Rapid Solicitors Stadium, 7pm
Tuesday, June 19
Western Division
Wigan – Co-operative Community Stadium, 6pm
Salford – Salford City Stadium, 7.30pm
Eastern Division
Wakefield – Rapid Solicitors Stadium, 7pm
Bradford – Odsal Stadium, 7pm
Tuesday, June 26
Rugby League 9s Finals Day – Headingley Carnegie Stadium, KO TBC
*All festival information, kick off times, dates and venues are correct at the time of publication. Please check with the respective host clubs on the publicised dates and times before travelling. Love Rugby League is not responsible for any further amendments by the host clubs or the RFL.