Dunstan High School First XV coach Garry Marsh said the decision to default its final round-robin game was not made lightly.
Dunstan was scheduled to play King's High School on Saturday but pulled out of the Otago premier schools fixture, citing a lack of fit players and a busy calendar.
''We had five on the bank when we played Mt Aspiring College [midweek] and we got two more head knocks in that game,'' Marsh said.
The team was not able to draw from its under-16 team as that side had nine players out with injury.
''At the end of the day King's are a good side and we've got an interschool on Wednesday and St Kevin's [College] at the end of the week.
''That would have meant three games in seven days and it was felt, for the sack of injuries and the safety of players, it would be better if we just pulled the pin.
''It wasn't made lightly. In the 50 years I've been involved in the rugby it was the first time I've been involved in a default and it does not sit well with me.''
The top six sides had effectively been sorted before the last round. King's finished on top of the standings.
John McGlashan College had a comfortable 65-0 win against Taieri College and consolidated second place.
South Otago High School beat Kavanagh College 75-19 and is in third place but with a catch-up game to play.
Otago Boys' High School 2nd XV beat St Kevin's College 57-17 and is in fourth place, also with one game remaining.
Waitaki Boys' High School, which also has a game left, beat Mt Aspiring College 20-5 and has climbed one place to fifth. Mt Aspiring slipped to sixth.