National Rugby League Embraces Playing On Thursday Nights

The '13 National Rugby League season will kick off with Thursday night games being played in the "first four rounds of the competition" as part of the new broadcasting deal with Channel Nine, according to the AAP. The NRL revealed the new scheduling arrangements following a meeting of club CEOs in Sydney on Thursday. This year's season began with a Thursday night game between Newcastle and St. George Illawarra. But '13 will be the first season that four Thursday night games will "form part of the opening month of the competition." The decision means the NRL will be broadcast on TV five days a week for the opening four rounds (AAP, 10/18).