The Auckland NRL Nines could take place on a Friday and Saturday next year because of a venue clash with the Cricket World Cup.

Sam Burgess' NRL career appears set to end after the 2014 season, with South Sydney poised to accept an offer of over $900,000 from English rugby side Bath to release him early.

City leaders are breathing a sigh of relief after Auckland made it through what has been described as one of its "greatest weekends".

It was billed as The Greatest Weekend and the Auckland Nines came close to delivering on that promise.

Warriors skipper judged MVP but regretful after local favourites let slip golden opportunity at Auckland Nines.

They came in the thousands, some from as far as America, others from the South Island and Wellington, in costumes ranging from Osama bin Laden, Superman to Alice in Wonderland.

The North Queensland Cowboys have beaten the Brisbane Broncos 16-7 to win the first NRL Auckland Nines rugby league tournament.

The Warriors have been defeated in the semi-finals of the Auckland Nines, losing to the Cowboys 8-0. Join us for live updates.

Today in Auckland - tomorrow in Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne?

Rugby league authorities will combat the use of sleeping pills and energy drinks by players by including it in drug tests and possibly in codes of conduct.

This is the weekend when the new Eden Park should come of age.

Apart from those first up, teams will be watching and learning right up to kick-off

If ever we needed reminding that there has been a change of guard at the Sharks, it was confirmed when new coach Jake White picked Ryan Kankowski to start at No 8 against the Bulls.

Hundreds of rugby league fans gathered at Auckland's Aotea Square today to welcome their favourite teams ahead of this weekend's Nines tournament.

Australian rugby league players have been pouring into Auckland before tomorrow's kickoff of the first NRL Nines tournament at Eden Park.

Shaun Johnson once played for a touch team called Kryptonite.

When you've played as long as Robbie Farah, change is bound to occur but the hooker admits it will still feel strange when he looks up from dummy-half.

Auckland league fans have a chance to meet their heroes at league clubs across the city today, with all 16 NRL clubs being hosted by a local counterpart.

Injured Vodafone Warriors players swapped rugby league for acting yesterday as they delivered an anti-bullying message.

Some Auckland residents are concerned that more than 90,000 possibly alcohol-fuelled fans could converge on Eden Park for the NRL Nines this weekend.

For someone who has only ever been contracted to two clubs, it will seem strange for Sam Tomkins not to be playing when they meet in Hamilton tonight.

They'll be out to have a good time, but fans spoken to by the Herald say they aren't expecting to party like they do at the Wellington Sevens.

A stay in hospital had a silver lining for one young Auckland girl, who was visited by members of the Gold Coast Titans rugby league team.