TEAMS from Russia, the USA, Lebanon, Morocco and Europe are set to enter next year's York Rugby League Festival.

As revealed by the Evening Press, the nine-a-side competition is to expand following the success of the inaugural event in June.

And at yesterday's official launch of the York International Nines, it was revealed that 26 teams from all corners of the earth were likely to be involved over two days of competition, on Saturday and Sunday, June 21 and 22, 2003, at Heworth ARLC.

The schools' tournament that ran alongside the main competition will again be staged and this too will be expanded. Schools will again battle for the Marston Moor Trophy, though this time they will play tag rugby rather than full contact rugby league.

The new organisers of this Marston Moor competition, Tony Gargan and Mike Kilmartin, already run a successful schools tag rugby tournament across York.

Although the main tournament entrants have not yet been confirmed, this year's champions, the London KooGas, are expected to defend the Fairfax Trophy, while York will again be represented by a select local side.

The KooGas were one of many amateur teams from the UK-wide Summer Conference involved this year, alongside Forces teams, two semi-professional French outfits and York's side.

Most of the UK teams came from outside the traditional rugby league areas, in regions where the game is growing, and next year's York Nines line-up will again feature sides from RL development areas.

Furthermore, the inclusion of teams from countries like Lebanon, Russia and USA reflects the fact the sport is developing across the globe - for example, more than 30,000 fans watched a recent Russia versus USA international in Moscow.

Tournament director Jeremy Coupland said: "The festival earlier this year was a great success. This showed us there was great potential in the concept and we have nurtured that idea.

"The 2002 tournament was contested by 16 teams over one day and in 2003 that will be extended to be almost doubled in size and run over a weekend.

"We want to create a level of competition below the elite level where we get teams from across Europe and beyond to compete on one stage."

More than 2,500 fans saw June's event and organisers expect a bigger turn-out next time. As for York as a venue, Coupland added: "York is one of the founding areas of rugby league and it's steeped in RL tradition. Hopefully the event will be bigger and better next year."

City of York Council are again supporting the event, which already has several sponsors. Proceeds from the tournament will go to good causes in York via the charity WISE, founded by famous astrologer Russell Grant, who was at yesterday's tournament launch.

Updated: 11:41 Wednesday, October 23, 2002