Nines ambassadors call for venue change
Auckland Nines ambassadors Johnathan Thurston and Shaun Johnson have called for the NRL pre-season tournament to be moved away from New Zealand.
A move has been touted possibly as far as Asia, due to a dip in crowds at this year’s event.
The short-term future of the event - which has been held at Eden Park since its inception in 2014 - is under a cloud after NRL boss Todd Greenberg couldn’t guarantee next year’s event would be held in New Zealand’s biggest city.
Thurston, who became a paid nines ambassador this summer, was the most adamant about taking the concept away from Auckland next year after a poor crowd turnout.
While previous tournaments have usually been sell-outs over the two days, it’s estimated that around 25,000 spectators - half the stadium’s capacity - attended on Sunday to witness the Sydney Roosters lift their first title.
‘‘It’s a great way to kick off the year, playing in the nines,’’ Thurston says after North Queensland were bundled out in the quarter-finals.
‘‘(But) I’m pretty disappointed at the turn-out of the crowd. If that’s the type of crowd that’s going to show up I reckon we should be taking it else- where.
‘‘Maybe even Asia, get over there for a week and try and grow the game. You can see it’s a great spectacle and if it’s going get a turnout like this then let’s take it elsewhere.’’
Johnson, who is also a nines ambassador but failed to take the field due to a groin injury, is another in favour of the shortened format leaving his home city.
However, the Warriors star does want the nines concept to one day return to Auckland.
‘‘I think it is time to move it on and create that buzz again to another city,’’ Johnson Newstalk ZB.
‘‘It definitely has to come back to Auckland though. You can’t just take it away and play it in Brisbane or Melbourne for five years.
‘‘You’ve got to be able to rotate it and know if you’re in Auckland or New Zealand that the nines will be back in a few years.’’
Discussions on next year’s tournament between the NRL, promotion company Duco Events, and Auckland Tourism is set to take place as soon as this week. told