Pohiri at the start of the Tai Mitchell rugby tournament.
When Macken Graham takes the field this morning for his team at the Tai Mitchell Rugby Tournament, he's looking forward to that long ball to his position on the wing.
He'll grab the ball and will just try to "gas it" past his opponents.
Chances are the 13-year-old willnail it despite the fact he has only partly formed arms.
He is one of more than 400 intermediate-aged children who lined up yesterday at Western Heights High School in Rotorua in their crisp new tracksuits for the official welcome of the historic tournament that started in 1938.
The prestigious shield is what the boys have their eyes on but for the second year now, there is a girls' division.
The tournament is being held at Western Heights High School with the finals to be played on Sunday morning.
Macken Graham and his Tauranga West team mates get ready for their game. Photo / Andrew Warner
Macken, a Tauranga Intermediate pupil, has made the Tauranga West side as the 23rd player. He has special dispensation as a non-playing reserve to allow him to play even if there are no injuries to his teammates.
His coach, Atirau Ohia, said he had the goods and his physical impairment wasn't the reason he hadn't made the 22, it was more he hadn't been able to fully commit to training.
Ohia said Macken brought so much life to the team.
"He does things like lead the haka and I think you'll see when he gets on that field he will surprise people."
Macken Graham is to make his debut for Tauranga West at the Tai Mitchell Rugby Tournament. Photo / Mead Norton
Macken didn't like to talk himself up too much but said his speed was probably his best asset and as he played on the wing, he looked forward to his teammates giving him the pass so he can do his best to get to the try line.
At yesterday's welcome, Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick reminded the players the tournament started in Rotorua before World War II and was named after a "feared administrator in sport" called Henry Mitchell.
She said it was the 84th tournament and it was even more special there were now as many girls teams competing as boys.
"That wouldn't have happened in 1938 and it is great for our wahine toa."
Wasps Club captain Craig Elliott, whose club is the founding sponsor of the Tai Mitchell, asked players at the welcome to take one thing away from the tournament.
The welcome for the Tai Mitchell Rugby Tournament at Western Heights High School. Photo / Andrew Warner
He said he lead the Rotorua Golds team in 1987 to a win but one of his biggest regrets was not having respect at his school, Western Heights High School.
"I turned out alright but I didn't have respect ... If you remember one thing from this tournament that this grey-headed old bugger from Heights was saying then that's respect."
He said out of the hundreds of children sitting in the school hall, there would be at least one All Black and at least one Black Fern among them.
"And there will be probably 50 of you who will make an income from the game. Play hard, play fair but remember that keyword: Respect."
