Maroons chase Tai Mitchell success | Rotorua Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Rotorua

Old rivalries come to a head tomorrow as the Tai Mitchell Primary Schools Tournament gets under way in Murupara.

Ten teams from across the Bay of Plenty will tough it out on the field for the Tai Mitchell Trophy at Rangitahi College.

Tauranga West have met Te Puke in the final for the past three years but one man with his eyes on the prize is Wayne Fell, coach of Rotorua Maroon.

He said he was confident his team had what it takes to catch the eye of the Roller Mills selectors.

"You get a new crop each year but this year, we've a number of Year 7 boys who will stick with us to next year," Fell says.

"I think we've two or three who should get into Roller Mills. It's all dependent on what the selectors are looking for and what other teams have got.

"This is a very good experience for the boys.

"It will be a difficult tournament but I'm expecting them to be very competitive. It's going to be a full-on week."

Tai Mitchell is a weight-restricted tournament for players aged up to 13 and weighing under 53kg. There are two teams from Rotorua - Rotorua Maroon is selected from primary and intermediate schools east of Old Taupo Rd, while Rotorua Gold takes in schools west of the boundary.

Fell said there was rivalry between the two but that would not be played out on the field unless they were drawn against each other in the knock-out stages.

The tournament started in 1938 and was a starting point for All Blacks such as Caleb Ralph and Craig Newby.

Selectors for the regional Roller Mills representative team will be scouting for new blood to take part in the regional primary schools competition. At the end of the tournament, envelopes would be handed out inviting players to trial.

• DRAW:

Friday, Round 1: Opotiki v Rangitaiki 12pm, Apanui v Te Puke 12.30pm, Tauranga West v Whakatane 1.15pm, Tauranga East v Rotorua Maroon 1.45pm, Galatea v Rotorua Gold 2.30pm.

Saturday, Round 2: Apanui v Rangitaiki 10am, Tauranga West v Rotorua Maroon 10.30am, Tauranga East v Te Puke 11.15am, Galatea v Whakatane 11.45am, Opotiki v Rotorua Gold 12.30pm.

Sunday, Round 3: Apanui v Rotorua Maroon 9am, Tauranga West v Rotorua Gold 9am, Tauranga East v Rangitaiki 10.15am, Opotiki v Whakatane 10.15am, Galatea v Te Puke 11.30am; Round 4: Tauranga West v Rangitaiki 1pm, Tauranga East v Rotorua Gold 1pm, Opotiki v Te Puke 2.15pm, Apanui v Whakatane 2.15pm, Galatea v Rotorua Maroon 3.30pm.

Monday, Round 5: Tauranga East v Whakatane 11am, Opotiki v Rotorua Maroon 11am, Galatea v Rangitaiki 12.15pm, Apanui v Rotorua Gold 1.30pm, Tauranga West v Te Puke 1.30pm.

Tuesday, semifinals.

Wednesday, finals: Bill Murray Trophy 9.30am, Gavin Parkinson Trophy 11am, Tai Mitchell/Laurence Boynton Trophy 12.30pm.