OBHS DEFAULT QUESTIONED

HERE is a glimpse into the future for you.

Mount Aspiring College First XV will record a 200 victory against Otago Boys’ High School First XV next weekend.

And the players will not even have to lace up their boots to get the five competition points.

Otago Boys’ has opted to default the Otago premier schools match in a move described by an organiser as disruptive to the integrity of the tournament.

The city’s top school rugby team is skipping the game so it can play in the curtainraiser for the HighlandersReds game in Brisbane on May 26. It will play Brisbane Boys’ College and it is a good opportunity to Otago Boys’.

But Otago secondary schools rugby council chairman Greg Heller has questioned the team’s commitment.

‘‘The whole situation has wider repercussions for the competition,’’ Heller said.

‘‘The match committee feel it has compromised the integrity of the tournament . . . and we are pretty disappointed.’’

With Otago Boys’ expected to sweep through pool play and easily qualify for the top six, its decision to default means Mt Aspiring will effectively get a leg up.

For a school such as St Kevin’s College, which will perhaps be on the fringe of making that top six, it hardly seems fair that Mt Aspiring might take the last spot because Otago Boys’ decided a trip to Australia was more attractive than honouring its commitment to the tournament, Heller suggested.

‘‘It is a great opportunity for Otago Boys’ and they are flying the flag. But it has also put us in a difficult position as a match committee having to make a ruling around what to do.’’

The committee decided to impose a further penalty on Otago Boys’. The team will relinquish two home games in the next round and be forced to play those game away instead.

Otago Boys’ was welcomed back into the tournament this season after spending the past three seasons playing the Dunedin premier colts grade.

The team left the grade in search of more competitive games after stringing together some very heavy wins. It is expected to dominate the tournament this season and would have likely brushed aside the challenge from Mt Aspiring.

Otago Boys’ coach Ryan Martin could not be reached for comment yesterday.

❛ The whole situation has wider repercussions

for the competition