Pupils from Maungatapu School will be among 200 Rippa Rugby stars playing in a two-day tournament in Wellington for the Air New Zealand Rippa Rugby Championship.

A total of 20 school teams representing their provincial unions throughout New Zealand will compete against each other today and tomorrow.

To qualify to represent their school and province, over 600 schools played in qualifying tournaments around the country.

For the first time, this year's tournament will see selected finals day matches streamed live on the Small Blacks TV Facebook page.

New Zealand Rugby general manager of community and provincial rugby Brent Anderson says the championship is an event that young rugby players aim for.

'It's a really special opportunity for kids to represent not only their school, but also their province.

'It's a fantastic event. The teams come to the capital with their teammates and for many it's their first time to Wellington. They make new friends from all over New Zealand and have a lot of fun.

'All the teams in the tournament have worked really hard all season and this is their reward. It's their chance to test their skills against kids from around the country.”

Small Blacks ambassadors Kendra Cocksedge, who has recently returned from the victorious Women's Rugby World Cup campaign in Ireland, and Keven Mealamu will attend the tournament.

The event will also provide a special opportunity for participants and spectators to view and take photos with the Women's Rugby World Cup, which will be on display for the duration of the championship.

Rippa Rugby is a fun, safe non-contact form of the game where primary school-aged girls and boys participate together in mixed teams.

Teams are made up of five boys and five girls, aged 10 and 11-years old, giving youngsters from the smaller rural regions the chance to compete against larger schools from the cities.

All players will be up for an APPLAUD Award given out to a player who demonstrates good sportsmanship throughout the tournament. APPLAUD is a New Zealand Rugby initiative encouraging participants and supporters to be good sports and to stamp out anti-social side-line behaviour.

The Air New Zealand Rippa Rugby Championship is taking place with the support of Air New Zealand, New Zealand Community Trust and New Zealand Rugby Principal Partner Adidas.