The annual Harmony Nines tournament continues with a Peru heritage team joining this year for the first time to take part in the cultural and Rugby League celebration kicking off this weekend (18-19 October) on the Central Coast.
The event, run by the NSWRL in conjunction with Heritage Rugby League, will feature 19 heritage clubs, 80 teams and more than 1300 players in a two-day event at Central Coast Regional Sporting and Recreation Complex.
“We are proud to bring Harmony 9s to Tuggerah for the first time. Harmony Nines is always a wonderful spectacle as it provides players and volunteers with the opportunity to celebrate their culture and family's heritage through Rugby League,” NSW Community Rugby League Manager Peter Clarke said.
“The fact we have 80 teams competing this year reflects the popularity of our game and the diverse cultures that are part of our sport.”
The event will showcase more than 120 games including Under 16s and Under 18s Boys and Girls, Open Age Men’s and Women’s, Emerging Nations Open Men and Open Women, and a Physical Disability showcase.
In a further boost for fans, Harmony 9s will be broadcast live on NSWRL TV on Bar TV, which is available as a dedicated app on the Apple App store and Google Play store.
The heritage teams are allocated into pools and play nine-a-side matches and nine-minute halves, with the top-seeded teams at the end of the pool games progressing to the finals.
The heritage groups featured this weekend include heritage teams from Africa United Lions, Cambodia, Peru, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Mediterranean Rugby League, NSW First Nations Indigenous, NSW Maori, NSW Niue, NSW Tonga, Ozzy Cooks, Pasifika NSW, Philippines, NSW Samoa, South Sudanese Buffaloes, Syria, Turkish-Australia, Ukraine.
Harmony 9s began in 2009 with the aim of increasing Rugby League participation in multicultural communities across the state, as well as encouraging stronger understanding and harmony through Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) groups.
Tickets are only $5, while pensioners and children under 12 are free.
Click here to pre-purchase tickets for Harmony Nines.
Click here to watch Harmony 9s on NSWRL TV on Bar TV.
