Top schoolboy rugby team relegated in cheating furore

Rotorua Boy's High School celebrate with the Barbarians Cup following their win in the National 1st XV Championship Final. Photo / Getty Images

An investigation has been launched after ineligible players starred in one of New Zealand's most prestigious rugby tournaments.

Rotorua Boys' High School's First XV was this week relegated from second place to last in the Super Eight tournament, played between New Zealand's most traditional rugby schools in the central region.

A meeting on Friday of the schools' eight principals voted to censure RBHS for fielding two ineligible players during the tournament.

The New Zealand Schools Rugby Council had earlier examined the eligibility of the two members of the squad competing in a separate regional knockout competition.

The move against Rotorua Boys' will be small consolation for many schools, however, as Rotorua had already progressed through to the national championship for finishing top of their region.

This week they were crowned national champions after beating Scots College in the final.

Super Eight chairman Tauranga Boys' College principal Robert Mangan said evidence was produced that showed RBHS had fielded more new players than the allowed-for six players in the final of the Super Eight competition against Hamilton Boys' High School.

Super Eight chairman Tauranga Boys' College principal Robert Mangan said evidence was produced that showed RBHS had fielded more new players than allowed. Photo / George Novak

The Schools Rugby Council was also asked to investigate the Rotorua team in August during the regional finals of the Top Four competition.

NZSSRC president Garry Chronican said there was an allegation some of the team's players breached eligibility rules in the game against New Plymouth Boys High School on August 29.

The team went on to become the region's representative in the top four, with no further issues over eligibility, he said. An independent inquiry would now review the sporting body's practices and procedures to highlight weaknesses.

But RBHS principal Chris Grinter said it was a genuine mistake stemming from a poorly advertised rule change and as soon as he found players weren't eligible, changes were made.

The school had been severely reprimanded for an oversight that stemmed from fielding two players who had re-enrolled at the Bay of Plenty school after a bereavement saw them unexpectedly return to class midway through a gap year.

The school was unaware re-enrolment rules had changed in April that meant the pair had to be counted as new players. Both players had previously attended the school since year 9.

It was a disappointing outcome for a genuine error that could be accounted for by a rule that hadn't been widely circulated, he said.

"I think the New Zealand Super Eight schools perhaps over-reacted."