York City Knights Ladies will this weekend take a break from Betfred Women’s Super League action and instead focus on the inaugural RFL Women’s Nines Finals at Salford’s AJ Bell Stadium on Sunday.
After finishing top of their group in the festival earlier this year, their qualification for Finals Day was sealed with victories over Cardiff Demons, Bradford Bulls and Leigh Miners at Warrington’s Victoria Park. The action on Sunday begins at 10:45am and promises to be a far sterner test for Lindsay Anfield’s team.
Joining York at Finals Day are Catalans Dragons, Leeds Rhinos, Huddersfield, St Helens and wildcard entry Warrington Wolves.
There will be six play-off matches before the semi-finals and then the final, which will kick off at 2:50pm.
This competition marks the RFL’s biggest foray into the abbreviated version of the sport for over two decades. While the NRL has previously held its own nines competition, it’s a relatively new form of the game to the teams in this country with no formal competition held for professional clubs before this.
Games are played in nine-minute halves with tries worth the usual five points – unless they are scored in the bonus area near the posts when they are worth five points. Conversions, worth two points, are taken by drop-kicks. For this tournament, squad sizes are unlimited but fifteen players must be named for each game.
The Knights’ first match of the day will kick off at 11:10am against Catalans Dragons before facing Warrington at 12:50pm in their two play-offs.
The first of the two semi-finals will kick off at 1:45pm before the second at 2:10pm.
Tickets for the event are available priced at just £5 for all wishing to attend. You can purchase yours online HERE.
