In 1924, the Northern Roller Milling Company presented a shield for competition between primary school teams from any Rugby Union within the Auckland Province. The next year, teams from other provinces were invited to compete for the shield in what became known as the NRM Roller Mills Tournament.

It has been played every year since and has grown to include teams from Northland, North Harbour, Auckland (East & West), Counties Manakau, Waikato (Rovers & Rangers), King Country, Thames Valley and Bay of Plenty and is regarded by many as the ‘Ranfurly Shield’ of primary school rugby.

Played in first week of the Term 3 school holidays, the tournament is run on a format of pool play between 2 pools of 5 teams, followed by semi final and finals. 

North Harbour has participated in the Roller Mills Tournament since the start of the Union in 1985. We won the tournament in 1993 and hosted it in 2004.

To be eligible for selection players must be registered for and play Saturday rugby at a North Harbour Club and be under 13 years old on the 1st of January in the year of the tournament and they must weigh less than 55kg at the time of the tournament.