Lachlan Christian, captain of the Scanpower Dannevirke Ross Shield team, with grandfather Bob. Phoot / Christine McKay
The Dannevirke Ross Shield rugby players have done all the hard work and now it's game on at the tournament in Hastings.
As the team boarded their bus in front of family, friends and supporters on Monday, co-coach Janine Withey said the team was "ready to go.
"All those rainy, winter days of training and playing and now it's show time.
"We're all excited and happy. All the kids are fit and conditioned, so now it's game on."
For grandparents Bob and Barbara Christian, it was a proud but bittersweet moment as they supported grandson Lachlan the captain of the Dannevirke team.
"He's a remarkable young lad," Mr Christian said.
Lachlan, a top sportsman who made the Manawatu representative cricket team and scored 70 not out in a representative game, lost his father, Rob, last December and it was an emotional moment for his grandmother as he prepared to board the team bus.
"He's incredible," she said.
On Tuesday, the Dannevirke team went down to Wairoa 0-48, a result which was a little disappointing, coach Carl Withey told the Dannevirke News.
"Wairoa was only 12 points up in the first half, but it was one of those things, in the second half our boys had nothing left in the tank. It's now time to pull up the socks or it's going to be a very long week and the boys have to realise this isn't Saturday morning rugby."
There have been four artists-in-residence at Rinitawa.