The Otago Boys' High School First XV may be forced to abandon plans to play at the inaugural world schools tournament in South Africa because of severe water shortages in Cape Town.
The school was the first New Zealand team to sign up for the competition but its participation is in serious doubt because of concerns about getting travel insurance.
''It is at the board level at the moment,'' coach Ryan Martin said.
''There is potential for there to be no travel insurance, so it has kind of been taken out of our hands and our board of trustees will make the call.''
Martin said the team would know its fate on Wednesday, when the board is expected to make a decision.
''The board's concern is for the students first and foremost. To make it a fair decision, they have taken it away from being a rugby decision.''
The tournament is scheduled for April 2-8. If Otago Boys' pulls out, Martin said the team still had plenty to look forward to.
''We will get on with things. It would have been nice but we have lots of things planned as it is. We're pretty excited about being back in the First XV grade [after spending several years in the premier colts grade].''
Hamilton Boys' High School, Christchurch Boys' High School and Napier Boys' High School have also signed up for the tournament and face a similar decision.
Dunedin's King's High School has no plans to call off its planned tour of South Africa in April.
A rugby development group and a contingent of golfers will play a series of fixtures in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Assistant principal Darin Smith said the school was in ''constant contact'' with its travel agent and the South African embassy. The advice it has received is that it will not be affected by the water shortages in Cape Town.
''Our contact has informed us that we are not going to be impacted on,'' Smith said. ''In fact, they are going to be stockpiling water for our day trips and things like that if required.
''But the feedback is they are asking people to be responsible about how they are using water.''
Water restrictions of 50 litres per person per day were introduced on February 1 in order to avoid what has been labelled ''Day Zero'' - the day when the water taps are shut off and Cape Town residents are forced to queue for water.
Years of drought and rising population has caused the crisis. Day Zero was expected to arrive in April but restrictions have seen the forecast shift to July 9.
