The tiny town of Millers Flat swelled in size on Saturday as 1000 primary school-aged netball and rugby players - plus their supporters - converged on the town.
For more than a century the Millers Flat Tournament has been a highlight on children’s sporting calendars, with generations of families from throughout Otago and Southland taking part.
Grandparents and parents would return to cheer on their children, having once played themselves.
The tournament was a family affair for Cromwell woman Kim Shaw.
She had played in the tournament as a child and returned to co-coach her daughter Caitlin’s netball team.
"I love it - I love watching her play," she said.
"It’s quite nice it’s been going for such a long time. My aunties, they played in the same tournament when they were growing up here so it’s been going a long time."
Millers Flat principal Hilary Spedding said the tournament grew larger every year and involved a big effort from families and the community.
"It’s amazing. I feel very humbled and proud, you know, that it’s kept going all this time and that we’ve managed to keep it going despite only a few families at the school."
"If you talk to anybody older and say you’re from Millers Flat they say ‘Oh I played in the tournament’," Mrs Spedding said.
"You know everyone remembers so it’s a really famous tournament and it’s a really well-oiled machine on the day."
