Hela Wigmen Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 There’s been an “East 9’s Festival” since 2013, with Bedford Tigers the most successful at that format in that region. I’m not sure if other areas do it but I can imagine it could be a decent afternoon standing in the sun at your local amateur club. I’ve never got the premise we should use 9s as a tool to grow the pro game domestically and ideas of taking a tournament to *closes eyes and sticks a pin into the A-Z*...Bristol or wherever, would actually be beneficial to the sport. There’s definitely more scope to grow something via an International tournament but it would likely be a slow burner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommygilf Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 16 minutes ago, Man of Kent said: Not sure. How useful is 9s as preparation for a regular full-blown Super League game? Given the alternatives seem to be reserves with some call up amateurs in the squads, academy u18s or no games at all (DR looks to be dead and buried), 9s could be the only SL self contained way of doing it. Fwiw 9s to play is, unlike 7s in Union, not totally indistinct from the full game and capable of being played by all regular players. Props can still be in the game for example. That makes it valuable as a reserve exercise. Equally, given how most clubs were setting up their reserves with massively extended squads and a handful of NCL call up players, (Leeds aside as I know they were determined to maintain an u19s), realistically you're only looking at around 9 or so players who are ever within serious sniffing distance of stepping up to the first team anyway. So you could argue half the reserves are just filler players anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticchris Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 Nines is brilliant but for it to really work it needs to be funded well enough to incentivise clubs to include the star teams that will bring fans through the turnstiles and give it an event feel. The Union Sevens is different because it is long established with major traditional events like Hong Kong. The NRL nines is a really good way to start the season but tough to do here in freezing February. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barnyia Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 4 hours ago, unapologetic pedant said: The OP did say "for community clubs". I thought that`s what we were talking about, not events for pro clubs and spectators. It went off track and people started mentioning super league etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unapologetic pedant Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 There`s currently some promotion on social media for a new 9s event in Alicante. (Men`s, Women`s, juniors, Masters, Beach). Looks good if they can attract the numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucky 7 Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 1 hour ago, unapologetic pedant said: There`s currently some promotion on social media for a new 9s event in Alicante. (Men`s, Women`s, juniors, Masters, Beach). Looks good if they can attract the numbers. That could work if promoted supported properly in preseason as generally the weather is mild in the winter months compared to the UK, and no i haven't forgot the recent snowstorms Spain recently had, but that is rare for there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unapologetic pedant Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 5 hours ago, lucky 7 said: That could work if promoted supported properly in preseason as generally the weather is mild in the winter months compared to the UK, and no i haven't forgot the recent snowstorms Spain recently had, but that is rare for there. The prospective date I saw was early October. Whether that`s been determined by the current circumstances, I don`t know. In normal times, if they intend it as a pre-season option, the timing could be because they`re thinking more in terms of attracting French teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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