Leeds Rhinos to face St Helens as Women's Nines returns to Warrington: Wigan Warriors, Hull KR also feature
Leeds Rhinos face a tough defence of their Women’s Nines title after being drawn against Challenge Cup holders St Helens in the group stage.
Rhinos, who beat Wigan Warriors 21-8 in last year’s final at Salford Stadium, will need to top their group at Warrington’s Victoria Park on Sunday, May 4, to qualify automatically for finals day. That will be held on Saturday, July 27, at a venue yet to be decided.
Next month’s festival includes all eight Betfred Women’s Super League sides, plus teams from the regional Championships, with the four group winners and two best runners-up going through.
Midlands Women’s Championship sides Telford Raiders and Leamington Royals join Rhinos and Saints in group two. Women’s Super League champions York Valkyrie come up against Warrington Wolves, Leigh Leopards and Widnes Vikings in group one. Group three includes Wigan, Huddersfield Giants, London Broncos and Salford Red Devils, while Featherstone Rovers, Barrow Raiders, Cardiff Demons and Hull KR are in group four.
RFL head of development Tom Brindle, said: “Nines is an exciting spectacle and we’ll see lots of fantastic players showcasing their skills on the day. As we saw last year through teams like Wigan Warriors and Cardiff Demons, this format can be extremely competitive and is a great opportunity for younger players to introduce themselves.”