Auckland Nines
| NRL Auckland Nines | |
|---|---|
Current season or competition:: 2017 NRL Auckland Nines
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| Sport | Rugby league |
| Instituted | 2014 |
| Inaugural season | 2014 |
| Number of teams | 16 Male 2 Female (2015) |
| Country |
Australia New Zealand |
| Current Champions |
 Sydney Roosters (2017)
|
| Most titles |
 North Queensland South Sydney Sydney Roosters(1 title each) |
| Broadcast partner |
Fox Sports (AU) Sky Sports (NZ) |
The NRL Auckland Nines (known as the Downer NRL Auckland Nines due to sponsorship) is a rugby league nines competition staged by the National Rugby League and played annually prior to the beginning of the NRL season proper. The inaugural tournament was staged between 15 – 16 February 2014, with susequent tournaments being played earlier in the year normally at the end of January. The NRL signed a five year agreement for Auckland's Eden Park to host the tournament with the 2014 event being the first.
All sixteen NRL clubs compete in the tournament. Each squad must include at least 12 of their top 25 players in their squad, and at least one marquee player. The winner of the tournament receives AUD$500,000 with a total prize pool of AUD$2,250,000. In the first four editions, the competition has had eight different finalists and four different winners, though the 2016 title was later stripped from the Parramatta Eels for breaching the salary cap.
Beginning at the 2015 tournament the Kiwiferns and the Jillaroos also competed in a three-game series, with the Kiwiferns winning the series 2-1. These games are played during the final stages of the mens tournament and allow the male players more of a break between their games while also providing Women's RL with more higher profile tournament as well. Also in 2015, the pools were given traditional Maori names that were chosen by a public vote and were: Rangitoto, Waiheke, Piha and Hunua Ranges.
There are a number of rule variations that are implemented to ensure the games are faster and to ensure fewer delays and stoppages.
The major rule changes that differ from regular NRL games are:
Note – The Parramatta Eels were stripped of their 2016 Auckland Nines title due to a breach of the salary cap. The 2016 title was withheld by the NRL rather than awarding it to the runners up.
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