Twenty-eight teams from councils across the country are heading to Thames for the annual Inter-Council Sports Tournament this Saturday.

Approximately 450 people from councils as far south as Queenstown and as north as Northland will compete in touch rugby, soccer and a mystery novelty event down at Rhodes Park from 8am.

The annual Inter-Council Sports Tournament kicks off at Rhodes Park in Thames on Saturday at 8am. Image: TCDC

The Thames-Coromandel District Council has entered two teams into this year's tournament – the Coromandel Mussels and the Mercury Rays.

Deputy mayor Peter French says Thames is already seeing the benefits of the tournament with many accommodation providers booked-out for the weekend.

'Hosting the tournament is a really good opportunity to show off the Coromandel to other Councils and promote local businesses,” says Peter.

'Many of the players are staying around on the Sunday to explore the district; those that don't stay on will certainly get a taste and want to come back.”

Aside from two years when it wasn't held, the annual tournament has run nationally since 1996.

Although Thames-Coromandel didn't win the event last year, the region was the most popular choice to host the event this year. This is the second time the council has hosted the event, the last time being in Whangamata in 2007.

'We'd like to thank our principal sponsors Smart Environmental, Amar marketing, PakNSave, Coromandel's MoreFM, REON Signs, Plan B$ U Party, Brew and Sport Waikato.

'We'd also like to thank all the other people, businesses and organisations who have helped our Council with this event - there are too many of you to mention here,” says Peter.

The tournament kicks off at Thames' Rhodes Park on Saturday at 8am, followed by a prize-giving dinner at the Thames War Memorial Civic Centre that night.