One of the most important events on the junior rugby calendar kicks off at 12pm on Friday at Blake Park.
The FIL (Farming Industries Ltd) Tai Mitchell tournament began in 1938 and this year Tauranga East - comprising of Year 7 and Year 8 boys from Mount Maunganui Intermediate, Otumoetai Intermediate and the Te Wharekura O Mauao school in Bethlehem - are hosting the tournament.
Ten teams will contest the annual Bay of Plenty-wide primary school tournament, with last year's champs Te Puke looking to defend their title against Tauranga East and West, Rotorua Maroon and Gold, Galatea, Rangitaiki, Whakatane, Opotiki and Te Whanau A Apanui.
The tournament doubles as a trial for the Bay of Plenty Roller Mills team, which will represent the province at the northern regional tournament against sides from Northland, Auckland, Thames Valley, King Country, Waikato and North Harbour from September 29 to October 4.
The original Tai Mitchell Shield was presented by Mr Henry Taiporutu Mitchell in 1938, for competition among the primary school teams representing the Bay of Plenty rugby sub-unions. Mitchell was a renowned Rotorua sports administrator and a supporter of all codes.
One long time Tauranga rugby fan who will take more than a passing interest in the tournament is Brian McCord who was selected in the 1947 Tauranga team that contested the famous tournament played at the Tauranga Domain.
The 1947 team was selected from the schools within the Tauranga County region (including Te Puke) and was coached by Mr Joe Ward, who was a teacher at Tauranga Primary School.
"In those days there was no Saturday JMC rugby, with schools playing each other during the school week," McCord said. "The 1947 Tai Mitchell tournament was fought out by teams from the Apanui, Galatea, Rotorua, Rangataiki, Whakatane and Opotiki sub-unions, along with the Tauranga representatives."
Tauranga in 1947 bore little resemblance to the sprawling metropolis of today and was little more than a sleepy fishing village. Rotorua was the Bay of Plenty capital city with Whakatane and Opotiki also thriving country towns.
The Eastern Bay teams likely travelled to Tauranga on the Taneatua Express (train), which used to leave Taneatua for Tauranga, then journey on to Hamilton via Waihi and Paeroa. Road travel was far removed from the tar-sealed smoothness of today.
"The annual trip for Tauranga Primary to play Katikati School was an all-day affair with two hours of travel each way on a narrow gravel road," said McCord.
"While we played before big crowds at the Domain, there was no grandstand, just terraced seating, with changing and after game showers taking place in two army huts. All the teams were billeted by the home teams with our family hosting John and Jack Morrison from Rotorua, who became my lifelong friends."
In keeping with the traditions of today, where a Bay of Plenty team is selected at the end of the Tai Mitchell tournament, a Bay side was selected in 1947 including McCord, but did not play a game.
"While I was selected in the Bay of Plenty side we never got to play a match because of the polio epidemic of the time."
The latest edition of the Tai Mitchell tournament is likely to be contested with all the intensity, pride and passion of the first Tai Mitchell tournament 66 years ago.