Harbour are sending a team to the Middlesex Cup club sevens at the Paremata-Plimmerton club on Saturday.
The single-day tournament has attracted 12 teams aiming to get their hands on the 75-year-old trophy.
It has been a while since an Otago club went to the tournament, which started in Dunedin in 1951 — Zingari-Richmond were the inaugural champions — and was dominated by South Island clubs for a long time.
Harbour president Brian Greer said it was exciting to represent the Otago union at the tournament.
The Hawks had won the Otago club sevens title but the cost of getting a team to the North Island was always a challenge.
Players had covered airfare costs themselves and the club had raised the rest of the funds.
"We’re just excited to be there," Greer said.
"I think it’s a shame this sort of thing doesn’t come up more often, and it’s a great thing for Otago rugby to have a team there.
"We obviously know the opposition will be pretty sharp, so we plan to be full of endeavour with no real expectation on how we’re going to go."
Highlanders great Waisake Naholo is coaching the Harbour squad. Clubs are allowed to name 14 players — including up to four guests — but can only strip 12 for each game.
Star first five Rique Miln and experienced forwards Taylor Dale and Toni Taufa lead the Harbour squad.
Max Brown, son of All Blacks great Olo, is now with Ponsonby but previously played for the Hawks for several years.
South African playmaker Kyle Kloppers (Takapuna) is heading to Harbour this season, Ratu Berwick (Old Boys-University) is a late inclusion for Jacob Denyer, an outside back from Tawa who is also joining the Hawks, and the fourth guest player is Wellington under-20 forward Preston Moananu.
Other clubs at the tournament are Burnside, Clifton, Coast, Greytown, Havelock North, Hutt Old Boys Marist, Manukau Rovers, Marist Nelson, Marist St Michaels, Paremata-Plimmerton and Te Puna.
Harbour Hawks
Sevens squad
Rique Miln, Carlos Miln, Luca Fuller, Wiremu Brailey, Taylor Dale, Toni Taufa, Samiuela Vatuvei, Charlie Hunn, Ben Norris, Ted Wooley, Max Brown, Kyle Kloppers, Preston Moananu, Ratu Berwick.
