Dutch Rugby League attract full
house for Rotterdam 9,s

The Dutch Rugby League are delighted to have attracted a full house for the 2nd Rotterdam International League Nines to be held on Saturday August 6th 2005. After the success of last years event the increase of entries show that the Rotterdam Nines is now an important fixture for developing rugby league on the continent.

Six different nations are represented at club or national level and the sixteen team entry is four up on the 2004 tournament. Last year Scotland Students, Serbia and the host club Rotterdam supplied half of the twelve entries, for 2005 fourteen clubs/national teams are ready to compete.

Scotland Students once again have a three team entry as they look to defend the title their Team 2 won in an exciting final against Cumbrian amateurs Broughton Red Rose.

Oxford University OB, Broughton Red Rose, Heavy Woollen Donkeys, Pro Plumb Essex Eels, Nottingham Outlaws and host RC Rotterdam have all confirmed they are to return to support the event and new entries for 2005 have come from Dutch club Hoek van Holland, Lancaster, Widnes West Bank and East Coast Eagles, Dublin.

The NNRLB will be entering a Dutch National side as will new boys Georgia and another new League playing nation Germany will be represented by the students of M?nchen-Stusta.

The NNRLB are in negotiations with two new nations regarding the 2005 Rotterdam Cup which will be played on Friday 5th August. Germany are lined to up to play their first national fixture against the Netherlands development squad and Italy are hoping to send a team to challenge the Dutch first thirteen for the Rotterdam Cup.

New to this years Nines tournament will be the "rugbyleague.org plate" a knockout competition for teams who fail to qualify for the knockout stages of the main competition.

Overall an exciting line up,with the teams playing in four groups of four before the knockout stages. The draw for the 2nd Rotterdam International League Nines will again take place on the Friday evening at the Official Opening Reception which last year proved a very popular part of the weekend.

For more information on Rugby League in Holland check out www.nnrlb.rugbyleague.org

ROTTERDAM INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE NINES 2005 Entries

ENGLAND Oxford University OB Pro Plumb Essex Eels Broughton Red Rose Heavy Woollen Donkeys Widnes West Bank Nottingham Outlaws Lancaster SCOTLAND Scotland Students "A" Scotland Students "B" Scotland Students "C"

IRELAND East Coast Eagles

GERMANY M?nchen-Stusta

GEORGIA National Team

NETHERLANDS RC Rotterdam RC The Hookers Hoek van Holland Dutch National Team