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An Auckland secondary school rugby side is to continue its tour of Britain and Ireland in memory of a team member who died in a fall in London at the weekend.
Ross, 17, a member of the Howick College 1st XV, died yesterday in a fall from the team's hostel in London - just 48 hours after they arrived for their tour.
Acting principal Sheryll Ofner said today that there was a unanimous decision for the trip to continue.
She said the school consulted with all team members' parents and all boys in the tour party.
Ross' parents' view was their son would not have wanted the trip to stop.
The view of the boys, each of whom had been provided with grief counselling, was that they "really, really want to keep going for Ross", Ms Ofner said.
Ms Ofner said the school had opened two classrooms to allow pupils to pay their respects to Ross.
About 50 pupils turned up today, the first day of the holidays, with many of them writing letters of condolence to Ross' family and messages of support to the team.
Counselling will also be on offer tomorrow morning for students who cannot get there today.
Meanwhile, students continued to flood the bebo social networking website with messages in the wake of the death.
Many of the messages express shock at his passing and describe Ross Kimpton as ";just another Kiwi bloke", who loved rugby, hunting and beer.
The site dedicated to Ross has since been closed down after several posters left pleas calling for respect to be shown to the first XV.
Ross's own site has also been flooded with tributes with school mates leaving messages.
Some of Ross's friends are speculating on how the accident happened.
Another post said: "Ross was such a good guy and had an influence on everyone's lives that he had come across."
Yet another said: "wish i could have seen you one last time, already missing you heaps, been alot of tears shed from me an everyone who new you, you were a great mate."
A Scotland Yard police spokesman in London said it appeared Ross fell from the fourth-storey window of The Lodge in Norfolk Square about 1am (noon NZ time).
Ms Ofner said Ross, a Year 13 student who played at flanker, was an "extremely popular" student who was "very well regarded by the teachers".
He was interested in technical subjects, including woodwork.
Ms Ofner said she was devastated to have to inform Ross's parents.
"Clearly they're very upset - extremely upset - as is the school. The family wish to be left to grieve in private at this difficult time."
A cousin, Wayne Kimpton, said last night that Ross's parents were too distraught to talk about the tragedy.
The team, including 24 players and 15 management staff, were staying at The Lodge, just one minute's walk from Paddington Station and five minutes from Hyde Park.
Details of how the accident happened remained sketchy today.
Ms Ofner said the team left Auckland on Wednesday and were due to play their first game today. They were no longer staying at the hostel and it was not known last night whether they would continue the tour.
Neil Trilokekar, a member of the Howick College board of trustees, said he expected most of the school's students would feel affected by Ross's death. "It's really shocking."
Mr Trilokekar said the trustees would meet tomorrow to discuss the fatality.
In London, a hearing is to be held at Westminster Coroner's Court tomorrow.
- additional reporting NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB, EDWARD GAY
