Tip top touch event returns to Hamilton

The New Zealand Secondary Schools Touch Championship returns to Hamilton next Friday.

Future superstars of NZ sport will be out to showcase their skills and flair in three days of scorching-hot action - an event that always features head-turning action and heart-stopping moments.

The event will be played at the Waikato University Park and ends on December 9.

Three champions from 2011 will defend their titles - Rotorua Boys overcame hometown heroes Hamilton Boys' High School 6 touchdowns to 5 in the final of the boys grade last year while Macleans College finally achieved a championship in the mixed grade. Hamilton Girls' High defeated Mt Albert Grammar in the girls final and both teams will be back and are looking like contenders once again.

Local schools involved include Hamilton Girls' and Boys' High, St Peters Cambridge, and Morrinsville and Paeroa Colleges.

In the past the touch championship has featured the likes of Benji Marshall, Liana Barrett?Chase (both in 2001-02) and Mils Muliaina (1997) on the field with the best young touch players in the country.

Throughout the tournament Touch NZ selectors will be watching all the players closely and announcing the selection of a tournament team in each grade. While these players will not be playing any representative tournaments this year it does signal who the up and coming players are for the future national representative teams.