Connor said this is their third visit to the tournament and each year she has tried to keep the cost to parents down with fundraising and local sponsorship.
She noted a $500 contribution from Fulton Hogan as playing a big part in getting the team to Rotorua. Once in Rotorua, it was a food contribution from Pak 'n' Save which helped keep the kids going throughout the long competition days.
"We try and keep the fees down as much as we can, but in their fees they get a uniform and accommodation.
"For my role, it was about trying to seek sponsorship and what we did get was great as it meant we could bring our fees down for our parents.
"That was [Pak 'n' Save's contribution] just a massive help towards what we needed to feed our kids over those three days, just food to keep their energy up when they're playing five games a day."
Connor said the highlight for her as a manager was the team's ability to leave their mark on a tournament that you'd expect an Auckland-based team to take out, because most have two or three teams in each age-group module.
Connor noted 12-year-old Paul Turner was selected into the Kiwis under-16 team.
Northland's under-13 touch team: B. Bently-Hape, D. Brown, K. Herma, C. Job (F), K. Walters-Preston (F), T. Rudolph, R. Reihana, T.Shortland (F), M. St Bruno-Ferris, Q. Tito, P. Turner, S. Turner (F), S. Turner (F), D. Hati; Coaches: Bevan Hati, Boyce Turner; Manager: Chantez Connor.
