Eden Park is once again the place to be over Waitangi Weekend, with the fourth edition of the NRL Auckland Nines confirmed for Saturday 4 February and Sunday 5 February, 2017.
A host of NRL stars – 49 Kangaroos; 46 Kiwis; 46 State of Origin; 16 Fijians; 6 English; 28 Samoans; and 23 Tongan reps – have graced the NRL Nines over its first three years, and that parade is set to continue in 2017.
"The Downer NRL Auckland Nines has hosted the game's most notable players – Shaun Johnson, Sam Thaiday, Paul Gallen, Semi Radradra, Benji Marshall, Darius Boyd, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Greg Bird, and Robbie Farah – to name but a few," Duco Events chief executive Martin Snedden said.
"The NRL Nines really is the place where the game's great players come together as one, and the 2017 tournament promises to be even more star-studded than ever."
NRL chief execuitve Todd Greenberg said the Downer NRL Nines would once again ensure the NRL season launched in spectacular style.
"Every year the level of entertainment on offer at the NRL Nines goes up another notch," Mr Greenberg said.
"It's a great way for the stars of our game to connect with fans, showcase their skills and provide a taste of the thrilling action our game produces year-in, year-out."
Tickets for the 2017 Downer NRL Nines are on sale from Thursday 6 October through Ticketek.
2017 NRL AUCKLAND NINES
4-5 February 2017
- All 16 NRL clubs together in Auckland
- Featuring 288+ star players
- 31 action-packed games
- 9 players per team, 9-minute halves
- NZ$2.6M+ in prize money
- Over 80,000 fans expected over 2 days
