Watch: Calls for Scots College to be banned from rugby after damning video emerges of disputed final

The video shows Scots College apparently manipulating the numbers of reserves it had in order to defeat scrummaging regulations.

Earlier today DTNZ reported on the social media furore following last weekend’s Hurricanes 1st XV final between Feilding High School (FHS) and Wellington’s Scots College.

Scots won the match 43-35.

FHS then made a formal complaint claiming Scots had broken front row replacement rules, an allegation Scots denied. After ruling in favour of FHS, Scots appealed to an independent NZ Rugby Tribunal. The Tribunal overturned the decision and ruled in favour of Scots, paving the way for them to meet Palmerston North Boy’s High School in the Hurricanes final. In a further twist Scots went on to default that game scheduled for this afternoon at around 8pm last night citing a lack of front rowers.

A video recording events at the ground was posted on YouTube Channel Basic Rugby early this evening which appears to show a deliberate manipulation of the Scots reserve bench with an intention to dodge the scrum replacement rules.

In a statement this morning on Facebook, Scots principal Graeme Yule defended the decision to appeal, even though they subsequently defaulted (thus denying FHS a spot in the final), because the complaint ‘questioned the integrity of our coaching staff.’

It is not clear if the new video evidence was available at the NZ Rugby independent Tribunal hearing. DTNZ requested a copy of the decision from NZ Rugby, but it was not provided by our requested deadline. From reports it appears the Tribunal concluded Scots had committed an error of a technicial nature only, in not providing the squad sheet on a proper form. They were given a written warning.

Scots’ team sheet submitted on 18th August listed 22 players. By law it should have fielded five front rowers.

In the video six reserves took the bench for Scots at the start of the game, a squad total of one less than the team sheet. After a Scots prop went down injured, management told FHS they only had five reserves, but the video clearly showed they had six at the start of the game.

The video also showed one Scots reserve leaving the bench, going into the changing rooms, and re-emerging some minutes later in his school uniform after the injury. He is then seen shaking hands with a team coach. The implication is that the reserve was told to change out of his rugby gear so Scots could drop the gameday squad down to 20, with five reserves and no legal requirement for a front row replacement.

News of the video was posted on Facebook by sports commentator Hamish McKay. One commenter said Scots should be banned ‘for years’.

The footage is likely to have serious implications for the Wellington private school, as it appears to show a deliberate scheme to involve players in an attempt to cheat the rules.

Scots narrowly defeated cross-town rivals and defending champions St. Patrick’s Silverstream in the Wellington final 29-27 on August 13, prompting calls for that result, and other key games during the season, to be investigated also. In 2022 Scots had three rounds of competition points wiped after an investigation proved they had fielded an unregistered player.

READ MORE: Accusations of cheating following Hurricanes schoolboy rugby default