The annual Harmony 9s tournament will be contested this weekend at Albion Park in New South Wales across two days, bringing together 27 heritage groups, 80 teams and 1200 players.
During the two-day event, 134 games will be showcased with the category of matches including Under 16s and Under 18s boys and girls, Open Age Men and Women, Emerging Nation Open Men, Mixed League Tag, and a Physical Disability Exhibition Match.
Before the tournament begins, Heritage Rugby League NSW President Javed Hamidi spoke toย Zero Tackle, providing a background to the event, memorable moments that have occurred during previous Harmony 9s events, and his hopes for the future of the Harmony 9s tournament.
While many may not have heard about the Harmony 9s tournament before, a plethora of current NRL stars appeared in the competition during their younger days.
Coached by former two-time NRL premiership winner and New Zealand Kiwis forward Joe Galuvao, the likes of Stephen Crichton, Izack Tago, Tommy Talau and Stefano Utoikamanu would represent the Samoan Under 18s team at the 2018 Harmony 9s event.
Wests Tigers duo Brandon Wakeham and Apisai Koroisau have also featured in the event for Fiji, while Brisbane Broncos and NSW Blues star forward Payne Haas represented the Under 16s Philippines team.
However, Javed Hamidi revealed that the main aim of the Harmony 9s is "to provide an opportunity to a so-called development rather than elite players".
"However, there have been some (players) that have played in other 13 a-side games for these teams and then gone on to play in the NRL," he said.
"What we found was that players who may have played at a higher level in Australia, for example, in the NRL or overseas, have come back and got involved in the community in these heritage clubs and communities to give back.
"For example, the President of New South Wales Tonga is Andrew Emilio, a former Bulldogs NRL player in the early 2000s. There are examples of other teams like the Philippines that featured in a Test match last year that featured the likes of Paul Sheedy, who played a games for the Melbourne Storm and Kevin Gordon who played for the Gold Coast Titans.
"I think it's wonderful they develop skills and experience to be able to reach a higher level that they can impart that knowledge and experience and insights back to younger players that are coming through and to create a more positive environment for them as well.
Originally started as the Cabramatta and Sydney 9s, Javed Hamidi revealed those tournaments created the concept of the Harmony 9s.
"I guess the concept was that they had grown out of expatriate and diaspora communities in Sydney and New South Wales and Australia where people came to come together to celebrate their culture and heritage and represent their country or nation of origin and play rugby league," he toldย Zero Tackle.
"Probably stemming even further from some of the new communities that came to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s with the likes of Lebanon and Italy and Greece and the communities here forming teams and playing each other.
"Someone who had been very heavily involved was Tas Baitieri."
A former forward for the Penrith Panthers and Canterbury Bulldogs between 1977-83, Javed Hamidi revealed that Tas Baitieri was the real driving force for the Cabramatta and Sydney 9s - tournaments that laid the foundation for the Harmony 9s.
Baitieri has been continually credited as a significant contributor to the expansion of rugby league and would go on to earn the Order of Australia Medal for his work.
"There have been a number of people that were involved in the previous Under 18s Boys and some women's teams as well at the time from a New South Wales Rugby League and NRL perspective," he said.
"Tas Baiteri, though has been one really significant driver of the growth and development of international rugby league, but then also amongst the heritage or expatriate communities here in Australia as well.
"He's someone that provided a lot of guidance and advice and support and inspiration."
In his involvement with the Harmony 9s, Hamidi disclosed the most significant and moving moments that have occurred during the tournament. This comes as the players competing this weekend aim to create their own special moment or memory that will last a lifetime.
"In my experience last year and again this year, some of those experiences were really special to see the players put on their jerseys to fly their national colours and see the pride that they had in representing their nation or their community or their culture.
"Last year, there were some cultural exchanges, for example, where some teams performed a haka or war dance or a war cry.
"Another moment (was) where the New South Wales Tongan Under 16s girls team sang a hymn, and that was very passionate and moving, with a different feel."
Rounding out my conversation with Heritage Rugby League NSW President Javed Hamidi, he told Zero Tackleย what his hopes for the future were in regards to the Harmony 9's tournament.
"We've gone from bringing back or starting this event as the Harmony 9s last year, where we had 44 teams and 16 communities represented across seven age groups. So having this time, 27 clubs or communities and over 80 teams and over two days, it has grown significantly.
"My hopes are that the opportunity will continue to build awareness among the communities, among the broader public to be the centrepiece of a heritage rugby league season where clubs have the opportunity to play more games, involve more players and communities and to celebrate that culture even further.
"More broadly speaking, there are the opportunities to build development of the international game, both the 9s and the Associated 13 a-side games. Last year, we had almost 60 games of 13 a-side, which includes seven Associated Emerging Nations Test matches.
"The powerful thing is that Heritage Rugby League, the Nines and the 13 a-side Heritage games can be used as a way of supporting the development of these international games of international teams and ultimately to build awareness and development of the game back home.
"So to spark and encourage initiative that foster and help grow the game back in nations of origin."
The Harmony 9s will take place this year on October 14th and October 15th at Albion Park in New South Wales. The event will also be broadcast live and free on NSWRL TV - a dedicated channel for all NSWRL matches and content on the NSWRL Facebook page.
Tickets are only $5, while pensioners and children under 12 are free.ย Click here to pre-purchase tickets.
