The square is being transformed with banners, big screens and markets.
People join skills and drills sessions with NRL players on the specially laid grass pitch, line up for signing session and practise ball skills with their heroes. A special trophy cabinet features seven key bits of silver, including the State of Origin, NRL, Nines, World Cup, Four Nations, or you can grab photos at the exhibition of 16 team mannequins sporting the new Nines strip.
On Friday, Aotea Square hosts performances by South Auckland-based Grace Brebner, Ianett Soloman-Brown, Talia Daldon. DJ Manchoo plays all day, while on Saturday it's DJ09's turn on the turntables and DJ Manchoo on Sunday. There's also House of Shem, Ministry of Tone and Sammy Johnson.
There are some nice charity tie-ins too: Friday's artists are performing under the Play It Strange Foundation while the official charity recipient of the Nines themselves is the Rising Foundation, set up by a group of former South Auckland kids to assist at-risk youth and develop future leaders
It works with more than 520 kids, providing outdoor education programmes, one-to-one mentoring and group therapy.
At meet the teams sessions, fans may score an autograph of two of their favourites Nines players.
They'll be collecting donations at the tournament, helped by many of the NRL players as role models, and aim to raise $80,000 this weekend. A good place to empty your spare change, for sure.
But the real reason for fans, is, naturally, the players
Every hour there's a chance to meet coaches and captains, starting with the Cowboys and the Eagles at 10am, finishing with the Eels, Bulldogs and, naturally, the biggest drawcard -- the Warriors at 3pm. The home team captain, Shaun Johnson, reckons he's up to the pressure. Last year's winner of the Most Valuable Player award even told The Herald he'd rather win the competition than pick up the player award this year, dazzling as his performance was.
The Fanzone is aimed squarely at families. As well as plenty of giveaway merchandise, a chance to win big Dick Smith prizes and daily draws for flights to Australia with Air New Zealand, there also are free children's games and rides on the lawns beside the Town Hall, a market and, on Friday night, a movie.
Watch the nail-biting quarter-, semifinals and final (quarters kick off at 2.30pm Sunday, semis at 5.25pm and the grand final is at 7.30pm).
At Eden Park, too, organisers are focused on a safe and enjoyable time.
Nines chief executive Martin Snedden says that more than 40,000 water bottles will be handed out at the gate, there'll be free water refill stations and crowd behaviour will be monitored closely and alcohol sales either restricted or stopped before things become unruly.
The alcohol-free family zone inside the stadium has doubled from 750 seats to 1500.
NRL's season launch also includes a Women in League Leadership Forum on Thursday for 40 key female administrators while, on Friday, there's a referee workshop and a Rugby League High Performance Conference with experts at the Millennium Institute.
Welcome to our place
Auckland Transport has a neat Dick Smith NRL Auckland Nines Visitor Pass to share our city with out-of-towners.
It is available online or you can buy it at Aotea Square Fan Zone on Friday, or Britomart Transport Centre on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
The $25 card includes 20 to 50 per cent discounts to our top tourist attractions: the Museum of Transport and Technology, Adventure Duck, Maritime Museum, Auckland Adventure Jet, Rainbow's End, Explore NZ America's Cup sailing, Kelly Tarlton's, Auckland Zoo and Sky Tower. Discounts valid until February 8.
