St Kentigern College head David Hodge has hit back at the 10 Auckland schools which are refusing to play its first XV rugby team because of the school's recruitment policy.

The ugly spat has seen New Zealand Rugby drawn in in an attempt to resolve it

The coalition of schools, including Auckland champions St Peter's College, alleged St Kentigern spent huge amounts of money recruiting top rugby players from other schools.

But Hodge has accused the 10 schools of "acting out of self-interest" and insists that St Kentigern has played by the rules imposed by College Sport Auckland.

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"St Kentigern College totally respects and accepts these bylaws and has, at all times acted in accordance with them," he said in a statement.

He said the 10 schools were "acting in contempt of the guidelines and bylaws set down by College Sport both for the competition and in the manner in which any disputes between schools should be headed".

Others boycotters are Aorere College, Liston College, Auckland Grammar School, De La Salle College, One Tree Hill College, Dilworth Boys' School, Sacred Heart College and Kelston Boys' High School.

The stand-off threatens to see either St Kentigern excluded from the Auckland 1A competition or those schools would default to it. Some schools from other parts of New Zealand have said they agree with the stance taken by the 10 schools.

"The crux of the issue is simply that each school is allowed six players new to school in the team each year," Hodge told Radio Sport. "And each school generally has those six players come in. Their problem is that our players are better than their players. And that's really the crux of the issue and they don't like that because they say that it gives us an unfair advantage."

"They very wrongly - and we've addressed this with them - accused us of recruiting players. We don't recruit players because we don't need to. We get dozens and dozens of aspiring young rugby players through their families apply to come here every year. We only accept those that we believe will benefit from our programme, and of course we as a school will benefit from them being here.

"It's quite clear that the reason that so many young boys and their families want to come to St Kentigern is because of the quality of the education that they get here," Hodge told Radio Sport.

He says he has asked College Sport and New Zealand Rugby, to intervene.

He also said he had a letter from NZR praising the independent fees-paying college for the opportunities it gave to young men.

NZR said it was continuing to work with the Auckland Rugby Union and College Sport Auckland "to provide advice and guidance as to how they can assist with a resolution on this matter".

"We're obviously disappointed that the schools have not been able to find a resolution on their own, but we are all conscious that the way forward needs to ensure the best outcome – including a positive rugby experience in 2019 - for everyone," NZR chief rugby officer Nigel Cass said in a statement.

"New Zealand Rugby has conducted a review of secondary schools rugby in New Zealand, a piece of work to be considered by the New Zealand Rugby Board this month. Player movement was one of the areas highlighted as a concern in that review, and there will be recommendations that look to address this."

Neither NZR nor the Auckland Rugby Union have any jurisdiction over secondary schools rugby.

Five senior elite players from rival first XVs are understood to be to bolstering St Kentigern's 1st XV next year - one, a halfback from national finalists Napier Boys' High.

One of the principals that have agreed to the boycott, Mount Albert Grammar School headmaster Patrick Drumm, said the issue went beyond rugby.

"This is about the purpose of schooling and supporting colleagues around the country," Drumm told Stuff.

"In essence, we think developing good young people is about being in a school for its entirety, from year nine to 13.

"And to take a very narrow, win-at-all-costs approach and bring in senior players to ensure you are going to do that, that really goes against the integrity and purpose of what schooling is about."

A spokesman for one school said there had long been concerns that other schools could not compete with the amount St Kents spent to attract players.

Drumm added there was a general belief that this recruitment approach had been happening for a number of years and rival schools were effectively saying "enough is enough".

The boycott is an unprecedented response but it is one they are more than willing to follow through on, Drumm said.

"It's certainly not something we want. But the letter we've communicated with St Kents is that we won't be playing them if there is not an agreement to come on line with the other principals and look at changing their practice that they've put in place for next year."

All Blacks captain Kieran Read is a St Kent's old boy, playing one season there after his earlier schooling had been at Rosehill College in South Auckland.

St Kentigern has long been a powerhouse of Auckland rugby, boasting several All Blacks, among them Joe Rokocoko (two years), John Afoa (three years), Jerome Kaino (two years), Matt Duffie (three years) and Read (one year).

The 10 schools took action after saying several letters sent to St Kentigern did not garner a suitable response.

A source involved with first XV rugby called on NZR to get involved, as money was causing carnage in the game.

"We are legitimising a model where 16 and 17 year-olds run after the money," he said.

"This has massive implications for our game, New Zealand Rugby need to take over. It's corrupting the game, the game is littered with carnage, and it doesn't have to be that way."

College Sport confirmed it had been asked "by a school" to investigate the recruitment of "several other schools" in the competition.

Napier Boys' High School principal Matt Bertram, referred Stuff to his comments in the New Zealand Herald. Napier, who finished second in the national championship this year, expect their halfback to play for St Kents in 2019.

Bertram, chair of the North Island Super 8 schools competition, supported the move to isolate "brazen" St Kents.

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