The 2020 NRL Perth 9’s tournament is quickly approaching, with the event taking place on Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th of February.

The 9’s rules are relatively simple, instead of 12 players on the field for each side at any given time there are nine, games are played in two halves, each half lasting for nine minutes, tries are worth the traditional four points, unless scored in the bonus zone under the posts where the try will then be worth five points and conversion attempts will be made with a drop kick instead of a place kick.

The 9’s concept has been on hiatus since 2017.

Between 2014 and 2017 the NRL would hold the annual pre-season Auckland 9’s tournament, most recently won by the Sydney Roosters.

The tournament will be split into two competitions, the men’s and the women’s.

The men’s competition consists of four teams in four pools, each team will play two pool games, with the top two teams in each pool moving onto the knockout stages which includes the eight team quarter finals, four team semi finals and of course the two team final, with the winner receiving the Perth 9’s trophy and $1,000,000 in prize money.

MEN’S POOLS

Pool 1: Panthers, Warriors, Roosters, Knights

Pool 2: Bulldogs, Dragons, Eels, Sharks
Pool 3: Raiders, Wests Tigers, Titans, Rabbitohs

Pool 4: Cowboys, Storm, Broncos, Sea Eagles

The women’s competition will include the four NRL Women’s teams the Broncos, Dragons, Roosters and Warriors all facing each other once over the two days, with the two top teams after all teams have played facing off for the Women’s Perth 9’s trophy.

NRL PERTH 9’S SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14

4:05pm: Warriors (W) v Roosters (W)

4:30pm: Panthers v Roosters

4:55pm: Warriors v Knights

5:20pm: Bulldogs v Eels

5:45pm: Dragons v Sharks

6:10pm: Raiders v Titans

6:35pm: Wests Tigers v Rabbitohs

7:00pm: Cowboys v Broncos

7:25pm: Storm v Sea Eagles

8:05pm: Broncos (W) v Dragons (W)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15

10:20am: Roosters (W) v Broncos (W)

10:45am: Warriors (W) v Dragons (W)

11:10am: Knights v Panthers

11:35am: Roosters v Warriors

12:00pm: Sharks v Bulldogs

12:25pm: Eels v Dragons

12:55pm: Rabbitohs v Raiders

1:20pm: Titans v Wests Tigers

1:45pm: Sea Eagles v Cowboys

2:10pm: Broncos v Storm

2.40pm: Quarter Final 1 – 1st Pool A v 2nd Pool B

3:05pm: Quarter Final 2 -1st Pool B v 2nd Pool A

3:30pm: Quarter Final 3 -1st Pool C v 2nd Pool D

3:55pm: Quarter Final 4 -1st Pool D v 2nd Pool C

4:20pm: Broncos (W) v Warriors (W)

4:45pm: Dragons (W) v Roosters (W)

5:20pm: Semi Final 1 – Winner Quarter Final 1 v Winner Quarter Final 2

5:45pm: Semi Final 1 – Winner Quarter Final 2 v Winner Quarter Final 4

6:25pm: Women’s Final

7:00pm: Men’s Final

Will history repeat itself? another Roosters victory? stay tuned with the schedule above and watch it all unfold.