16 April 2025

We are proud to announce the return of the National District 9s Tournament for its fourth year.

The Tournament returns to Auckland’s Bruce Pulman Park over Easter weekend, Saturday April 19 and Sunday April 20. Pool games will take place on Saturday with all semi-finals and finals on Sunday.

The format of the Tournament remains unchanged, featuring 32 teams from throughout the country. Eight teams in each grade—16s Boys, 16s Girls, 18s Boys, and 18s Girls—will compete for the championship.

In 2024, Waikato’s girls and Auckland’s boys won the 16s divisions, while Canterbury’s girls and Wellington’s boys claimed the 18s titles.

Seven districts across the motu will be represented at this year’s nationals: Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Manawatu, Wellington, and Southland.

This will be the first time the Southland district enters teams in every grade, as the sole South Island district represented at this year’s tournament.

Grassroots rugby league is the foundation of our domestic game, and the National District 9s provides a platform for rangatahi to showcase their talent while proudly representing their communities on the national stage.

David McMeeken National Football Operations Manager at NZRL says, “Now in its fourth year, the National District 9s Tournament has increased participation in several districts across Aotearoa, particularly in regions where engagement has previously been limited.

“These districts have worked hard to form mini tournaments and local competitions, opening up more pathways for them to be represented at national events like the District 9s, as well as the National Secondary Schools and National Youth Tournaments.”

The 9s format continues to play a pivotal role not only in encouraging more female participation but also in developing the fundamental skills and overall quality of rugby league being played by young wāhine.

Luisa Avaiki, Head of Women’s Rugby League at NZRL, says, “It’s exciting that we’re continuing to build on the momentum from previous years of this tournament, which has become a key fixture in our calendar. It creates opportunities for girls from every district in Aotearoa to get involved and build confidence.

“Since the first National 9s Tournament in 2022, we’ve also seen an improvement in the quality of football played by the young women at this tournament.”

Visit Sporty for the Tournament draw, results and the Day 2 draw will be updated regularly.

Games on Field 1 and Field 4 will be live-streamed, visit here to sign in with your email and watch for free nzrl.co.nz/district-9s-sign-in.