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Super 9s in the UK - what to do with it?


What to do with the 9s concept in the UK?  

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  1. 1. What would you do?

    • Develop a tournament for it over here
      28
    • Leave it to the Aussies
      15


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I think there’s a general consensus in the UK, one which I agree with, that we have too many regular round games in Super League. From a business perspective, I can’t see it changing dramatically in the next couple of years, so I cannot see how we could fit in another event into what is already a heavily congested calendar. 

I also think that ticketed events, your non-season ticket games, are poorly attended here, like the Challenge Cup, play-off games etc so I’m not sure why we’d add in another event and hope it would work. 

I also think there’s other areas of the game that are more important at present than a different format of the game. 

 

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3 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

I think there’s a general consensus in the UK, one which I agree with, that we have too many regular round games in Super League. From a business perspective, I can’t see it changing dramatically in the next couple of years, so I cannot see how we could fit in another event into what is already a heavily congested calendar. 

I also think that ticketed events, your non-season ticket games, are poorly attended here, like the Challenge Cup, play-off games etc so I’m not sure why we’d add in another event and hope it would work. 

I also think there’s other areas of the game that are more important at present than a different format of the game. 

 

I think the point of nines is that is appeals to a different audience. The YouTube / Instagram generation might not be interested watching two packs batter each other for 80 minutes, but could be interested in the tricks and flicks that the flair players have room to show off. This isn't (or shouldn't) be about tapping the same well. With that in mind, I do hope that SL think carefully about the venue and try and tap into younger audiences. Don't play it safe at a heartland RL venue. 

Also, nines is discernibly different to the usual RL product for your current fan. Team A vs Team B in the Challenge Cup is not different enough to the three or four editions of the same fixture in the regular Super League. Nines very much is. One would hope that would be a point of difference that would encourage enough of the usual fan base to dust the cobwebs off their wallet. 

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5 minutes ago, whatmichaelsays said:

I think the point of nines is that is appeals to a different audience. The YouTube / Instagram generation might not be interested watching two packs batter each other for 80 minutes, but could be interested in the tricks and flicks that the flair players have room to show off. This isn't (or shouldn't) be about tapping the same well. With that in mind, I do hope that SL think carefully about the venue and try and tap into younger audiences. Don't play it safe at a heartland RL venue. 

Also, nines is discernibly different to the usual RL product for your current fan. Team A vs Team B in the Challenge Cup is not different enough to the three or four editions of the same fixture in the regular Super League. Nines very much is. One would hope that would be a point of difference that would encourage enough of the usual fan base to dust the cobwebs off their wallet. 

I think this post has hit the nail on the head for me.

I didn’t attend a Super League game this year despite being on the doorstep of Wigan and Saints.

But if this new Super 9s is done in a way I’ll enjoy, I’ll certainly make the effort and will probably take a few non fans too.

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2 hours ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

I think this post has hit the nail on the head for me.

I didn’t attend a Super League game this year despite being on the doorstep of Wigan and Saints.

But if this new Super 9s is done in a way I’ll enjoy, I’ll certainly make the effort and will probably take a few non fans too.

So what live RL did you watch ?

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Just now, GUBRATS said:

So what live RL did you watch ?

Lots and lots of Super League, NRL and Toronto via Sky and the BBC.

With commuting to and from work,  I just about scrape a live broadcast, but getting to a live match is not easy.

Sundays were out though due to family commitments so I missed out on the Championship too.

 

 

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1 minute ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Lots and lots of Super League, NRL and Toronto via Sky and the BBC.

With commuting to and from work,  I just about scrape a live broadcast, but getting to a live match is not easy.

Sundays were out though due to family commitments so I missed out on the Championship too.

 

 

So , none ? , You don't watch live RL ?

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2 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Why’s that?

Don't know really , just prefer to watch the club I support play a single game for a couple of hours then go home or for a beer , not really interested in hanging around all day for reserves and juniors 

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Just now, GUBRATS said:

Don't know really , just prefer to watch the club I support play a single game for a couple of hours then go home or for a beer , not really interested in hanging around all day for reserves and juniors 

Beer and Leigh.  Who can argue with that combo!

Ive even done it myself in the dim and distant past at Hilton Park.

 

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47 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

Its crazy that we wont be doing this for another 4 years, honestly crazy. If the RFL had any sense they would be running international comps, even if the majority of those international players come from Super League. You could put out decent squads for most sides or get close to it and only have to fly a few over. Tonga have the likes of Hurrell, Lolohea, Taia, Langi, Moa, Fifita, BMM, Akauola, Fonua, already over here.  There are plenty of Aussies, plenty of kiwis, plenty of PNG players, plus, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, Italy, lebanon, Serbia, USA, Jamaica could all probably put out a squad. 

Super League 9s with the 12 SL clubs, A championship select side, Jamaica select side, USA select side, Serbian select side. 4 groups of 4. Top 2 go through to quarter finals. 3rd in to a plate comp. That will give us about 14 hrs of competition (alloting 25mins per game). . Add in another 4 hours for a womens comp, 10am to 8pm saturday, 10am 6pm sunday. Start the season hold it somewhere hot in February.  

Same format international 9s in the UK mid summer, possible August bank Holiday now the CC final has moved. Same format international 9s France October post grand final.  Then RLWC wherever the autumn internationals are being held. Every year. 

Why leave it to the RFL to get all the rewards scotchy1? Pencil in your star studded teams from "Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, Italy, lebanon, Serbia, USA, Jamaica" etc , get the players (and the relevant clubs permissions of course) to agree to participate, take it all and sell it to the TV companies or other media behemoths. The World Series of  9's. They will be falling over themselves surely, happy to back a true visionary and fund all that expense in Dubai, Rio and wherever in return for a massive global audience or millions of pay per views. Which sane individual wouldn't pay good money to watch Sam Moa, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Dragan Jankovic, Danny Addy or Liam Finn play like they were having a kids game in the park again?  The players (and clubs) of course would be happy to get their nice big share of the pot for the extra demands it places and when Australia and New Zealand have played their 27th consecutive final you can just tweak the rules to give the others a chance. The public will be queuing up as they just have been this weekend in the sports number one nation.

You could easily become the first modified/novelty Rugby League multi millionaire. The Kerry Packer of TotalRL.  

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I’m not sure we’re going to grow the game or attract many new fans to Super League 9s. It really needs to be an International 9s competition.

Ideally, if we’re hosting it, it needs to be mid-season. January or November just isn’t anywhere near as attractive as say, June or July. I just cannot see anyone this side or the other side of the hemisphere agreeing to it. 

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The IRL need to settle a 7 week international calendar each year.

Year 1&3

May - Northern 9s (England, France, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, USA, Jamaica).

Southern 9s (Australia, NZ, Samoa, PNG, FIji, Tonga, Lebanon, Cook Islands)

The following weekend Round 1 for a European Cup, Asia-Pacific Cup, MEA Cup and Americas Cup.

Round 2 in June.

Round 3 in July.

October/November is international finals season I.e Federation Cup (top 2 from Europe and Asia-Pacific) and Federation Shield (3rd in Euro Cup, 3rd Asia-Pacific, 1st Americas, 1st MEA).

Year 2

Repeat continental championships in May, June, July.

Oct/Nov for a World Cup 9s

Year 4

Friendlies in May and June.

Oct/Nov for a full World Cup

Northern 9s alternates between Leeds, Cardiff and Toulouse.

Southern 9s alternates between Parramatta, Port Moresby and Auckland.

World 9s put out to applicants to host.

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It sounds like Perth are paying quite a bit to host next years’ NRL nines. In future, would they be interested in hosting a SL nines in late Jan? Would surely get 5k to 10k travelling support....given SL is now spread over 2 continents is having a comp on another continent such a strange idea...?

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11 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

Why not have three World Nines in one year,

Well, I'm sure the NRL will provide some good reasons why not?

But, aside from that insurmountable difficulty, I'd love it if that happened. I think it could attract a whole new audience for RL. Maybe have one of the rounds in Toronto at the BMO Field.

But sadly I just don't see it ever happening whilst ever the NRL have any say. They'll insist it is in Sydney, then totally fail to promote it.

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We could put on a mostly European international 9’s tournament without NRL players. A strong group of 4 with 2 teams into the semi final and then 2 weaker groups of 4 with 1 team qualifying for the semi final. The beauty of 9’s is teams like Wales and France are able to be competitive. 

England

Ireland

Scotland

Wales

France

Italy

Serbia

Italy

Russia 

Jamaica

USA

Canada

 

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