RFL Women's Nines

RFL Women's Nines
SportRugby league nines
Founded30 March 2022 (30 March 2022)
No. of teams16 (Qualifying)
6 (Finals)
Country England
Wales
Most recent
champion(s)		Wigan Warriors
(2nd title)
Most titlesWigan Warriors (2)

The RFL Women's Nines is a rugby league nines competition played as a pre season tournament ahead of the RFL Women's Super League. It is the first Women's Rugby League title in Europe to award prize money.[1]

2022

On 30 March, the RFL announced that the inaugural RFL Women's Nines tournament would take place on 1 May.[2] The competition saw teams from across RFL Women's Super League and RFL Women's Super League South, as well as selected invitational teams compete for six spaces in the final competition. The qualifiers saw 20 teams play in five groups of four with each group leader advancing to the final stage along with one wildcard team. Catalans Dragons, Leeds Rhinos, Huddersfield Giants, St Helens, and York City Knights were the five teams to advance as group leaders. Warrington Wolves were granted a wildcard entry as the best placed runner-up having drawn with St Helens and finished behind them on points difference.[3][4][5]

2022 Groups
Pos Group A Group B Group C Group D Group E
1  St Helens (Q)  Leeds Rhinos (Q) Catalans Dragons (Q)  Huddersfield Giants (Q)  York City Knights (Q)
2  Warrington Wolves (W)  London Broncos  Wigan Warriors  Salford Red Devils  Cardiff Demons
3  Barrow Raiders  Featherstone Rovers  Wakefield Trinity  Oulton Raidettes  Bradford Bulls
4  Bristol Golden Ferns Warrington Lunas  Hull FC  Castleford Tigers  Leigh Miners Rangers

Q Qualified W Wildcard

Source:[5]

Finals

The finals took places at the AJ Bell Stadium in Salford on 24 July.[4] The tournament was won by the York City Knights. Results are as follows:[1]

Group A
Group B
Semi-finals
Final

2023

The 2023 RFL Women's Nines competition began on 14 May and was once again held at Victoria Park, Warrington and saw 20 teams compete for the six places in the final tournament.[6][7][8][9][10][11]

2023 Groups
Pos Group One Group Two Group Three Group Four Group Five
1  Warrington Wolves (Q)  Leeds Rhinos (Q)  St Helens (Q)  Wigan Warriors (Q)  York Valkyrie (Q)
2  Huddersfield Giants  Cardiff Demons (W)  Hull Kingston Rovers  Leigh Leopards  Barrow Raiders
3  Leamington Royals  Salford Red Devils  Featherstone Rovers  London Broncos  Hull FC
4 Oldham  Bradford Bulls Newcastle Thunder  Castleford Tigers Workington Town

Q Qualified W Wildcard

Source:[12][13][14][15][16]

Finals

The 2023 finals took places on 24 June at the AJ Bell Stadium in Salford for a second time and was contested by the six teams which qualified during the May event held in Warrington. Leeds Rhinos won the tournament for the first time. Results are as follows:[17][18]

Group A
Group B
Semi-finals
Final

2024

The 2024 RFL Women's Nines competition began on 5 May and was held at Victoria Park, Warrington. All eight Super League teams took part along with a selection of teams from the regional Championships and Widnes Vikings of League 1. The 16 teams were divided in to four groups to compete for the six places (four group winners and two wildcards) in the final tournament.[19][20] Leeds Rhinos and Huddersfield Giants were named as the wildcard entries for the finals day.[21]

2024 Groups
Pos Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4
1  York Valkyrie (Q)  St Helens (Q)  Cardiff Demons (Q)  Wigan Warriors (Q)
2  Warrington Wolves  Leeds Rhinos (W)  Barrow Raiders  Huddersfield Giants (W)
3  Leigh Leopards  Leamington Royals (‡)  Featherstone Rovers (‡)  London Broncos
4 Widnes Vikings  Telford Raiders (‡)  Hull Kingston Rovers (‡)  Salford Red Devils

Q Qualified W Wildcard ‡ Group position unknown[a]

Source:[20][21][22][23][24][25]

Finals

The 2024 finals took place on 28 July at Craven Park in Hull, and was contested by the six teams which qualified during the May event held in Warrington. Wigan Warriors won the tournament for the first time.[26]

Group A
Group B
Semi-finals
Final

2025

The 2025 RFL Women's Nines competition was held at West Park Leeds RUFC in Bramhope, Leeds, with the whole tournament being played over one day on 5 July.[27] Scotland, who had been invited to take part in the 2025 event, would have become the first national team to compete in the tournament,[28] but they withdrew from the competition as did Northumbria University and North Wales Crusaders. Wigan Warriors went unbeaten throughout the tournament to retain the title.[29]

2025 Groups
Pos Group A Group B Group C Group D
1  Leeds Rhinos (Q)  Huddersfield Giants (Q)  Wigan Warriors (Q)  York Valkyrie (Q)
2  Swinton Lionesses (Q)  St Helens (Q)  Barrow Raiders (Q)  Cardiff Demons (Q)
3  Warrington Wolves (C)  London Broncos (C)  Hull Kingston Rovers (C)  Leigh Leopards (C)
4 —[b]  Leamington Royals (S) —[b]  Wakefield Trinity (S)

Q Qualified for Championship C Cup S Shield

Source:[29]

Finals

Championship quarter-finals
Championship semi-finals
Championship final
Cup semi-finals
Cup final
Shield final

Notes

  1. ^ Standings incomplete as results for Telford/Leamington and Featherstone/Hull KR are missing from reports
  2. ^ a b Three teams withdrew from the 2025 tournament: Group A: North Wales Crusaders and Scotland, Group C: Northumbria University

References

  1. ^ a b "York City Knights claim 9s glory". www.rugby-league.com.
  2. ^ "Rugby Football League confirm Women's Nines competition". LoveRugbyLeague. 30 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Women's Rugby League Nines | All you need to know". www.rugby-league.com. 21 July 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Warrington awarded wildcard spot for Women's Nines Finals Day". www.rugby-league.com. 24 June 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Cardiff Demons finish second in their group in the RFL Nines". Wales Rugby League. 1 May 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Women's Nines Rugby League returns after huge success last year". www.rugby-league.com. 20 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Women's Rugby League Nines Festival delights fans in Warrington". www.rugby-league.com. 15 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Women's Nines Festival 2023 - All you need to know". Sporting Her. 11 May 2023.
  9. ^ "The 'exciting spectacle' returning to Victoria Park today". Warrington Guardian. 14 May 2023.
  10. ^ "York Valkyrie aim to retain Women's Nines crown as competition returns". The Press. 21 April 2023.
  11. ^ "Qualifiers decided for RFL Women's Nines Finals". Rugby League Nines. 14 May 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  12. ^ "RFL Women's Nines 2023 – Group 1". Rugby League Nines. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  13. ^ "RFL Women's Nines 2023 – Group 2". Rugby League Nines. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  14. ^ "RFL Women's Nines 2023 – Group 3". Rugby League Nines. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  15. ^ "RFL Women's Nines 2023 – Group 4". Rugby League Nines. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  16. ^ "RFL Women's Nines 2023 – Group 5". Rugby League Nines. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  17. ^ "Our League to stream Women's Nines Finals live from Salford City Stadium on Saturday". www.rugby-league.com. 22 June 2023.
  18. ^ "Leeds Rhinos lift first Women's Rugby League trophy of 2023". www.rugby-league.com. 24 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Women's Nines Rugby League returns to Victoria Park". www.rugby-league.com. 23 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Warriors progress in Women's Nines". Wigan Warriors. 5 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  21. ^ a b "Sewell Group Craven Park to host 2024 Women's Nines Finals Day". www.rugby-league.com. 16 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  22. ^ "Women's Nines round-up: Red Devils take on Wigan, Huddersfield and London". Salford Red Devils. 5 May 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  23. ^ "Cardiff Demons qualify for Super League 9s Finals". Wales Rugby League. 5 May 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  24. ^ "Rugby league Women's Nines tournament at Victoria Park". Warrington Guardian. 7 May 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  25. ^ "More to come says Barrow Raiders vice-captain Emily Stirzaker". The Mail. 10 May 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  26. ^ "Wigan Warriors lift Women's Rugby League Nines trophy". www.rugby-league.com. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  27. ^ "Women's Nines to be held in Leeds". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3482. 26 May 2025. p. 11.
  28. ^ "Scotland women to make debut". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3485. 16 June 2025. p. 2.
  29. ^ a b "Wigan Warriors retain Women's Nines title in remarkable fashion". Total Rugby League. 6 July 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
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