York International 9s
Encyclopedia
York International 9s is an international rugby league nines
Rugby league nines
Rugby league nines is a version of rugby league football played with nine players on each side. The game is substantially the same as full rugby league, with some differences in rules and shorter games. Nines is usually played in festivals, as its shorter game play allows for a tournament to be...

 tournament taking place in York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. It is held at Heworth ARLC's Elmpark Way ground on the north east side of the city. The 2007 tournament took place on Saturday 14 July.

The tournament was first held in 2002 as part of City of York Council's Queen's Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was the international celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II to the thrones of seven countries, upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, and was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50...

 celebrations. The competition was awarded a 5* rating from the Rugby League European Federation
Rugby League European Federation
The Rugby League European Federation is the umbrella body for nations playing the sport of rugby league football across Europe and the Northern Hemisphere. It supports the Rugby League International Federation . The RLEF "oversees and co-ordinates the development of the sport in all its member...

 and was the first nines event in Europe.

Format

The 2007 event has been streamlined with all the competitions taking place on one day rather than two, and eight teams, rather than 12, competing in the Fairfax Cup. The new competition format has the eight teams split into two pools of four, with the top two from each group qualifying for the semi-finals. The bottom two in each group will compete in play-offs to determine finishing positions fifth to eighth. In 2009 the RFL invited the Combined Services Referees Society to send officials from all three services to participate. On the day, five officials took part including one who flew in from Germany alongside officials from the RFL.

Teams taking part

Fairfax Cup

Group 1: York City Knights
York City Knights
York City Knights Rugby League Club is a British professional rugby league club hailing from York. They play at the Huntington Stadium, situated to the north of York city centre...

, York Ironsides, Espagne Origine, Lyon-Villeurbanne-Rhone

Group 2: Dewsbury Rams
Dewsbury Rams
Dewsbury Rams RLFC is a professional rugby league club based in the West Yorkshire town of Dewsbury. They are arguably most famous for becoming Champions in 1972-73 after finishing the regular season in 8th place. In the playoffs they beat Featherstone away, Warrington away, and then Leeds in the...

, The Army, FC Lézignan XIII, The Ambassadors

Archbishop Dolben Cup

Group 1: Police Sport UK, Beach Boys, York RUFC, Royal Navy

Group 2: Featherstone Rovers
Featherstone Rovers
Featherstone Rovers are a semi-professional rugby league club, based in Featherstone, West Yorkshire, England. They currently play in the Championship. The Rovers are one of the last vestiges of "small town teams" that were once common in rugby league during the early twentieth century...

, Royal Air Force, York Tigers, Broughton Rangers
Broughton Rangers
Broughton Rangers was a British rugby football, and subsequently a rugby league club. It was based in Broughton, Salford.-History:Broughton Rangers was founded in 1877 as Broughton and added Rangers for its second season...


Trophies

Teams from England, France and in previous years from Russia compete for the Fairfax Cup, named after Sir Thomas Fairfax. In recent years, this has recently begun to feature professional teams from the National Leagues
Rugby League National Leagues
The Championship, known as Co-operative Championship due to sponsorship by The Co-operative Group, is a professional rugby league competition based in the United Kingdom. It is currently contested by ten teams from England. It acts as Europe's second-tier competition below the Super League, and has...

.

First competed for in 2006, the Archbishop Dolben
John Dolben
John Dolben was an English priest and Church of England bishop and archbishop.-Life:He was the son of William Dolben , prebendary of Lincoln and bishop-designate of Gloucester. He was educated at Westminster School under Richard Busby and at Christ Church, Oxford. He fought on the Royalist side at...

 cup is competed for by "development teams" that are not considered strong enough to take part in the main Fairfax cup. Many of the teams represent the military services of the UK.

There is also a junior grade Marston Moor competition for York and District schools. It is named after the English Civil War battle between Cavaliers and Roundheads. Preliminary rounds will take place on Wednesday June 14 at Heworth Rugby Club. The semi finals and final will then be part of the York International 9s Festival. From 2007, the competition will be expanded to include secondary schools.

Fairfax cup

  • 2002 London KooGas
  • 2003 Lezignan - Corbieres XIII
    Lézignan Sangliers
    Football Club de Lézignan are a professional rugby league football club based in Lézignan-Corbières in the départment of Aude in the south of France...

  • 2004 West Indies Wahoos
  • 2005 East Hull
  • 2006 York City Knights
    York City Knights
    York City Knights Rugby League Club is a British professional rugby league club hailing from York. They play at the Huntington Stadium, situated to the north of York city centre...

  • 2007 The Ambassadors
  • 2008
  • 2009 Police Sport UK

Archbishop Dolben cup

  • 2006 Police Sport UK
  • 2007 Police Sport UK
  • 2008 Fife Lions
    Fife Lions
    Fife Lions ARLFC are a rugby league club located in the east of Scotland. They play in the Scotland Division of the Rugby League Conference.The Fife Lions in recent years have been one of the dominant teams in the SRLC...

  • 2009 Royal Dragoon Guards

Marston Moor cup

  • 2002 Ralph Butterfield Primary School
  • 2003 St. Oswalds Primary School
  • 2004 Ralph Butterfield Primary School
  • 2005 Wigginton Primary School
  • 2006 Woodthorpe Primary School
  • 2007
  • 2008

External links

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