For the kids, though, there is a sense of do-or-die because this year will be their final one at the festival - which boasts 5500 young players.
However, Shelford believes it's simply an opportunity for the kids to deliver on the expectations they have set for themselves.
"The other old, so to speak, loyal players who have been there from the start have taken the new players under their wing and shown them the environment," he said, adding it was the team's fourth appearance at the tournament.
"The influence has been with the kids themselves, showing each other their expectations that they have set for themselves.
"We don't look for Sonny Bill players, they've all got talent."
A challenging factor for the up-and-comers is that this is their first year of playing 15-a-side.
Shelford says it has been a smooth transition and growth of the team.
"It definitely hasn't affected us," he said.
"If you looked at our team we're pretty much undersized. If you visually saw them you'd say, 'They're going to get wasted'. But, the kids have the motto of 'play hard, play fair'."
Shelford was quick to make it clear that he was merely one cog of several that sets the wheel of Tamariki o Otangarei/City's under-11 rugby team in motion.
Head coach of the team was Marcelle Kaipo while his wife Bronwyn managed the side, along with several other members of the community - including Otangarei Community Constable Darron Goodwin.
Fundraising had made the trip possible and the team, families and crew had taken a bus south and were staying at a marae.
Thanks to a boot appeal run by The Whangarei Report and Northern Advocate members of the City team will be wearing boots donated in the appeal.
The appeal ran over winter and called for people who had boots they no longer used to drop them in to the Northern Advocate office or the Northland Rugby Union.
