Perth will host the club-based NRL nines competition when the pre-season event returns to the calendar next year.
While the contract hasn’t officially been inked, the city will pip Newcastle and Melbourne’s bids to stage the return of the abbreviated version of the game. The matches will be staged at the 20,000-seat HBF Stadium, the home of A-League side Perth Glory. The development is a huge coup for Perth, which is pushing to introduce an NRL franchise should Rugby League Central opt to expand the game. The governing body is in the process of formulating a blueprint for the game’s future, a piece of work that will be delivered after the conclusion of the season.
The three cities jockeying for hosting Nines rights all put in competitive bids for the two-day event, which will be the first official rugby league event of the 2020 season in mid-February. However, the Western Australian government upped the ante after successfully hosting the second State of Origin game at Optus in June. A crowd of almost 60,000 witnessed NSW’s 38-6 victory, the match providing a financial windfall to organisers and for the city via the associated tourism revenue.
The Canterbury Bulldogs recently committed to taking one game to HBF Stadium per season for the next three years in an indication of the appetite for rugby league in the city.
The Nines were held in Auckland for four years from 2014, although the fixture was taken off the schedule due to player workload concerns revolving around the last Rugby League World Cup. There were fears the concept would not be revived, but fans will soon get to experience two Nines tournaments in the space of four months. The Rugby League International World Cup of Nines will be held at Bankwest Stadium in October, featuring 12 men’s teams and three women’s. Kangaroos coach has vowed to pick the strongest possible side, earmarking Latrell Mitchell, Kalyn Ponga, James Tedesco, Damien Cook and Blake Ferguson as possible selections.
Those same players could again feature in the abbreviated version of the game in February if the prizemoney is high enough for the clubs to risk their top talent.
The Nines kicked off in Auckland five years ago and initially attracted large crowds before interest began to dwindle. The initial tournaments were staged by promoter Duco Events, but the NRL will take control of the Nines for the move to Perth. The Roosters are the carryover champions after beating the Panthers in the grand final in 2017.
The NRL has displayed a willingness to showcase marquee games in new markets. At least one State of Origin match per year is taken out of the heartland states of NSW and Queensland, while Brisbane was chosen as the location for the inaugural Magic Round.
The NRL is yet to decide whether to take the grand final out of the Harbour City for the first time following delays in delivering Sydney’s new stadium network. Brisbane will host the 2021 grand final if the NSW Government can’t come up with a suitable compensation package.
