On Wednesday 26th August the 2nd Carnegie Floodlit 9s takes centre stage at Headingley Carnegie. The Rhinos seeded into the quarter-finals take on 9s newcomers Warrington Wolves. Last year Leeds were unceremoniously dumped out the competition by eventual winners Huddersfield Giants, who showed the speed, flair and charisma required to lift the inaugural trophy. The Giants haven’t looked back since with impressive form in the engage Super League and the Carnegie Challenge Cup. So the Giants have thrown down the gauntlet to Leeds and the other 11 teams taking part in the 2009 event. 

In 2008 there was no shortage of top Super League stars on display and alongside them the likes of Mike Ratu, Lee Mossop, Mike Burnett and Leroy Cudjoe, who have all made such an impact in Super League this season.

Finally, the Leeds public, no doubt, will extend a very warm welcome to the Jamaican team who will field no less than 6 of their home grown players in their 9s team, all of whom have flown in specially to take part. The Jamaican domestic game has gone from strength to strength in recent years and 9s coach Des Drummond will be familiar to many Leeds fans with his trade mark breaks along the touchline for Leigh and Warrington over the years.

If you haven’t seen 9s before please come along, bring the family, and enjoy the breathtaking action that will unfold through the course of a summers evening at Headingley Carnegie. Tickets are available from the Headingley Carnegie ticket office for more information please visit www.floodlit9s.co.uk

Carnegie Floodlit Nines 2009
Preliminary Round:     
16:30 Leeds Met. University v Jamaica
16:50 Army v Royal Navy
17:10 Leeds Met. University v Cumbria
17:30 Army v Blackpool Panthers
17:50 Cumbria v Jamaica
18:10 Blackpool Panthers v Royal Navy 

Quarter Finals:
18:50 Hull FC v Group A Winners
19:10 Hull KR v Wakefield Wildcats
19:30 Huddersfield Giants v Group B Winners
19:50 Leeds Rhinos v Warrington Wolves
      
Semi Finals:     
20:30 Winner of QF 1 v Winner of QF 2
20:50 Winner of QF 3 v Winner of QF 4
      
Final:     
21:30 Winner of SF 1  v Winner of SF 2

A sprint challenge to find the fastest man in rugby league is to take place at this year’s Carnegie Floodlit Nines tournament.

The ‘Rugby League’s fastest man’ competition will be held at the Headingley Carnegie Stadium showpiece floodlit nines event in August. Stars from the game including Scott Donald, Kevin Penny and James Ford will bid to be crowned the quickest player in rugby league.  The challenge was devised by the Carnegie Nines organisers who have partnered with tournament sponsors Carnegie, Northern Rail and Totesport, to bring this exciting event to build on the burgeoning reputation of the Headingley floodlit event. 

Carnegie Floodlit Nines tournament organiser Lionel Hurst explains: “Our great sport is graced by many of the world's finest athletes.  Fans will be able to see a large selection of them in action on the revered Headingley turf on Carnegie Floodlit nines night, what a great event is in prospect!"

The event will take place directly before the final of the Carnegie Nines tournament, which last year was won by Huddersfield Giants.  The competitors will line up in full playing kit and sprint 90m along the famous Headingley turf without a ball.

Leeds Rhinos Australian winger Scott Donald explains:  “I’m really excited to be taking part in the ‘Rugby League’s fastest man’ competition.  There are a lot of quick players in our game and this is a real opportunity to see who is the fastest of them all.”

Nines is all about speed, and it is fitting that before the final a sprint challenge will take place to find Rugby League’s Fastest Man. Kevin Penny, James Ford, Peter Fox, Dave Halley, Luke George et al will race 90m in full playing strip, without a ball, to see who is officially the fastest man in the game and take home the £1000 winner takes all prize.

Rugby League’s fastest Man
Current odds are:
Kevin Penny    2/1    Warrington Wolves
Scott Donald    4/1   Leeds Rhinos
Dave Halley   9/2   Bradford Bulls & Wales
Peter Fox    5/1   Hull KR & England
Craig Calvert  6/1  Whitehaven and Cumbria
Roy Calvert    6/1    Duhaney Park Sharks & Jamaica
 Luke George    8/1    Wakefield Wildcats
James Ford    8/1    Castleford Tigers
James Nixon   6/1   Barrow & Cumbria
Johnny Leather 10/1 Blackpool Panthers
Amos Roberts   12/1    Wigan Warriors
Kingsman Bulitautin 12/ 1   Army 2 Lancs

Stuart Cummings, the RFL’s Match Officials Director, is a great advocate of the 9s brand of rugby league
 
"We were delighted to officiate at the inaugural Carnegie Floodlit 9s in 2008. The full panel of selected referees enjoyed the whole occasion."
 
The RFL's match officials department  has been instrumental in the rise of 9s as Neal Coupland, Carnegie Floodlit 9s and Cheltenham 9s Director, points out The 9s circuit of events is developing apace.
 
"Without the guidance and support of Stuart and his colleagues we would not have achieved the current rate of success. At the end of each tournament in Leeds and Cheltenham we consult with the match officials to determine whether the rules need any refining or adjusting."
 
Cummings continues, "We had a full debrief after the Headingley Carnegie event last year and remain confident that the rules enable the players to display their great skills and fitness and the fans to be thrilled by the non-stop action."
 
The one amendment to this year's competition will be the reduction of the sin bin to two minutes instead of five.
 
As Stuart stresses, "This is more in proportion to the length of each match as the duration of  9s ' games is 15 minutes."
 
All routes lead to Headingley Carnegie Stadium on Wednesday August 26 when Huddersfield Giants will defend their 9s title against a strong field including the winners of the Northern Rail and Cheltenham competitions.
 
A significant benefit of the 9s series of matches is that it enables countries new to the sport to experience the thrill and excitement of the short form of the game.
 
Jamaica will provide intriguing viewing this year for the game's fans. There is also an extra bonus as Stuart Cummings concludes
 
"We are optimistic that Jamaica's entry will produce - alongside ever increasing popularity in the sport  - a further cementing of the match officials structure in that country."

Following their dramatic victory in the inaugural Blackpool competition, the Cooperative Championship 1 club will step out onto the famous Headingley Carnegie turf this month alongside 11 other clubs including five engage super league teams.

The Panthers won the inaugural Northern Rail 9s on home soil, after a nerve-jangling 14-10 victory over Sheffield Eagles in the final.

Blackpool Panthers coach, Martin Crompton, spoke of his excitement following their victory. He said: “It was a monumental effort and I'm so proud of all the players. We have pace throughout the team and nines suits us. We deserved to win because we played with discipline on the ball throughout the tournament. We showed our quality.”

He continued: "Nines is an exciting and entertaining brand of rugby league.  It is a big honour for a little club like ours to be invited to take part in the Carnegie Floodlit 9s.   Our players and fans are looking forward to challenging Super League, international and representative teams next month in Leeds."

The Panthers will line up in Group B against forces opposition in Cheltenham 9s winners the Royal Navy and the British Army. Should they win through the group they will face current champions of the Carnegie Floodlit Nines, Huddersfield Giants.

Carnegie Floodlit 9s tournament director, Lionel Hurst, was present at Blackpool's history making moment. He said:  "I was fortunate enough to witness the Panthers’ pulsating encounter in the Northern Rail 9s Final.  They will provide a stern challenge for the Army and the Royal Navy who are both specialists in the condensed version of the game."

Blackpool club Chairman John Chadwick added, ”The Northern Rail 9s triumph was a marvellous achievement made even more fantastic by being in our home town.  To now line up in the Carnegie Floodlit 9s against some of world rugby's biggest names will be fantastic for us.  We intend to enjoy what will be a red letter day.”

Blackpool's joy does not cease with the Nines as they are entitled to enter one of their top players in the rugby league’s Fastest Man sprint that will also unfold at Headingley Carnegie Stadium on Wednesday August 26.