Yesterday the looks on their faces said it all - they're here to win.

"We're competitive," under-14 player Jack Redfern said.

"We train like three days a week."

The boys, from mixed sporting backgrounds, have "gelled together" coach Rangi Davis said.

"For the majority of them it's their first time down here," he said.

Playing at state level is no small feat for the boys, as the limited number of players in regional areas often make it difficult to compete.

Despite the geographical barrier, they're more than ready to tackle their city counterparts.

"I'm expecting big things from them," Davis said.

"They'll certainly hold their own.

"We'll stick it to them and see how we go."

A large contingent of Wollongong and Shellharbour players are also in action at the three-day tournament, which began yesterday at Thomas Dalton Park, Fairy Meadow.

It involves more than 4000 players from 236 teams - the biggest number to date - and organiser and head referee Bill Harrigan had to knock back teams due to a lack of space.

"OzTag is increasing in popularity amongst both junior and senior players," Harrigan said.

"This is evident in the record numbers we have [at] this year's competition."

The tournament concludes with grand finals tomorrow.