Hotels in Oamaru and the surrounding area are set to benefit from a big influx of guests on Sunday, when more than 500 people are expected to attend a new sports tournament hosted by St Kevin's College in Oamaru.
Students, teachers, parents and a host of supporters are expected in Oamaru to cheer on the top senior sports teams of five South Island Catholic colleges at the 2013 Southern Catholic Colleges Tournament.
St Kevin's College sports co-ordinator Nigel Ryburn said the tournament was a successor to the previous annual Quadrangular tournament but because it was the first year that five schools had been involved, St Kevin's had been keen to be first to host it.
Mr Ryburn said St Kevin's College in Oamaru, Verdon College in Gore, Roncalli College in Timaru, St Peter's College in Invercargill and Kavanagh College in Dunedin would all take part in the tournament, which would see 120 games of rugby, football, netball, hockey and basketball played over two days.
''Each school is bringing 100-plus people, so we are looking at about 550 people. We have got some staying at the Empire Backpackers; they have booked that up.
''We have got about 50 people staying here at the school and families from St Kevin's are hosting another 50.''
Students and support staff would also be put up in accommodation in Kurow and Waianakarua, he said.
''This is the first time it has been five schools, and because we are the first school [to host it], we are really looking at setting a high standard.
''Some other main features of it is that we are putting on a community dinner, lunch and a Mass, and we are the first school to do those things.
''It's a huge tournament, so what we have decided to do is involve the community as much as possible, so with the dinner we have asked our sports teams and their families to make home-made casseroles.
''We have made, and are still making, about 250 litres of casserole.''
He added that 1000 baked potatoes and 2000 slices of bread would also be needed to keep everybody fed.
''The parents have really come to the party and supplied us with food and barbecues, so it's a real community tournament.''
One of the school's hockey fields would also be transformed into ''party central'', to provide food, music and a place to mingle, he said.
