An Auckland schoolboy rugby player and his family have been successful in a bid to have their son play First XV grade for Kings College.
Aaron Taylor first brought the issue to 1News last month after his 17-year-old son was denied the chance to play in Auckland's elite 1A competition, after making a wellbeing transfer from Mount Albert Grammar to Kings earlier this year, thanks to the current 1A code of practice.
The Taylor family arguing their son hadn't played for Mount Albert's First XV and hadn't been part of their official rugby development programme.
"He wasn't even shoulder tapped by the school he was at," Taylor told 1News.
Mount Albert Grammar disagreed, with a stand-off developing between the school, Kings and the Taylor family over the interpretation of strict 1A First XV rules which eventually ended up before the NZ Sports Tribunal.
Currently, the rules say a player who has turned out for a school's 1A First XV or has been part of that school's development programme can't then transfer and play for their new school's First XV immediately, instead facing lengthy stand down periods, if not complete bans.
In a statement to 1News last month, Mount Albert principal Pat Drumm said the 1A code agreed by principals is transparent to ensure everyone can make informed decisions, adding it's "helped stop poaching and inappropriate recruitment".
The Taylor family, after several months of battling the matter on their own, took their case last week to the NZ Sports Tribunal who in turn ruled the Taylor's son is eligible to play for his new school.
He has been selected for Kings College to play against St Kentigern's today, but is unlikely to play.
It's unclear at this stage what reaction will come from other 1A schools, given their strict First XV rules have been tested.
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