Headingley set for Nines Grand Finals night

Eight contenders for the title of 2012 Rugby League 9s champions are ready and waiting for a fast-paced, all action night of thrills and spills at Headingley Carnegie stadium tonight, in the Rugby League 9s Grand Finals. 

The 2012 Rugby League 9s Finals night will be shown live on Premier Sports in a four-hour Rugby League extravaganza from Headingley Carnegie Stadium on Tuesday June 26.

Premier Sports have agreed a unique partnership with Ustream to broadcast live and for free via Facebook all the action from tonight’s 2012 Rugby League 9s Grand Final at Headingley Carnegie Stadium.

Director of Operations at Premier Sports Richard Webb said: “This is the first time the 9s final night has been broadcast live and in full and it seemed a shame that Virgin Media customers who have been missing out on over 200 Rugby League games from the NRL and Championship would not get to see this great gala evening celebrating all that is good about the game. We are currently investigating options to stream the channel and Ustream with its global presence will be able to drive not only a domestic audience but also bring this event to fans of Rugby League worldwide. Going forward we will be looking to offer subscription streaming as an option for those unable to receive the channel through Sky.”

RFL Director of Communications Niel Wood said: “ We are delighted that Premier Sports has decided to make this event available worldwide via Ustream. The channel has really opened up the coverage of Rugby League with some super initiatives and it is great that Virgin Media customers finally get to see what they are all about. We hope this initiative makes Virgin Media sit up and take notice of what their customers, many of whom are in Rugby League heartlands are missing out on.”

Coverage begins at 17:45 BST and viewers can access the channel by clicking on the Ustream app button via the Premier Sports Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/premiersports.tv

For those with no access to Facebook you can view the event here:http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nines-rugby

Six Stobart Super League clubs – Hull Kingston Rovers, Leeds Rhinos, London Broncos, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Warrington Wolves and Wigan Warriors – plus Co-operative Championship champions Featherstone Rovers and a combined Cumbria team will all battle it out after successfully negotiating the group stages.

Not only will Premier Sports broadcast all 10 games live, they will also cover the race to find Rugby League’s fastest man, when seven players go head-to-head in a length-of-the-field sprint. Premier Sports will broadcast the whole event from 5.45pm to 9.45pm.

Commenting on the announcement, RFL Director of Communications Niel Wood said: “The presence of the Premier Sports cameras will provide terrific exposure for the climax of a 9s tournament which has captured the imagination of all those who have witnessed the action in recent weeks. Rugby League 9s is all about pace, skill and sheer drama and I’m sure that will be captured by Premier Sports on what promises to be a memorable night which will -showcase the young and emerging talent that is a key part our Super League and Championships competitions.”

Richard Webb, Premier Sports Operations Director said: “’Rugby League 9s is a fast paced, innovative, high impact high intensity game. It demonstrates the very best skills of the Rugby League player and we look forward to watching the drama unfold on Premier Sports. Throughout this competition we have been delighted by the passion and commitment shown by players from all levels of the Rugby League community.”

Meanwhile, Rugby League match official Thierry Alibert will swap his whistle for running shoes when he goes head-to-head with some of the fastest players in the sport at the Rugby League 9s Finals night.

Alibert will compete in Rugby League’s fastest man challenge and line up against some of the game’s most impressive speedsters such as defending sprint champion Jodie Broughton and Ben Jones-Bishop in a length-of-the-field sprint.

“Thierry is one of the fittest officials we have and we’ll be watching closely to see how he gets on,” said RFL Match Officials Director Stuart Cummings.  “He’s very quick but it will be interesting to see how he compares to some of the natural sprinters in the game.”

The fastest-man sprint will be broadcast live on Premier Sports as part of four-hour Rugby League extravaganza with every game from the 9s final night broadcast live from 5.45pm to 9.45pm.

Buy tickets for the 2012 Rugby League 9s Finals Night at Headingley Carnegie Stadium on Tuesday June 26 now and you will receive another absolutely free of charge.

This BOGOF offer is for pre-purchased tickets only and will not be available on the day of the game: all complimentary tickets issued will be of equal or lower value to those purchased.

Tickets are available for just £10 adults and £5 concessions by calling Leeds Rhinos Ticket Office on 0871 423 1315 (calls charged at 10p per min – calls from mobiles may vary) or the RFL Ticket Office on 0844 856 1113.

For full fixtures and more information visit: http://www.therfl.co.uk/competitions/nines

Premier Sports are offering Rugby League fans the chance to purchase a 12-month season ticket to Premier Sports, Sky Channel 433, for just £79.99 which works out at just 35p per game!

To take advantage visit www.premiersports.tv or call 0871 663 9000.