The New Zealand coach John Mitchell has asked his players not to participate in the North v South hemispheres match at Twickenham in November, an event which has already been boycotted by leading English clubs.

The International Board is hoping to use the inaugural North-South fixture to raise money for developing unions but the game has angered the International Rugby Players Association, a body representing players in England, France and the three major southern hemisphere nations.

Unions are officially backing the concept but, as the match does not have the status of a full international, clubs are not obliged to release their players: the November 30 date coincides with a Zurich Premiership round and comes at the end of a month when New Zealand, South Africa and Australia are on tour in Europe.

"I will recommend to my players that they should not get involved in this match," said Mitchell, who has the backing of his union.

"We support the match, though we do have some concerns about it," said Steve Tew, the acting chief executive of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union. "We will not force our players to take part in it and they will play only if their association agrees."

With the board looking to raise £3m from the afternoon, it will probably have to offer players generous sums of money to avoid having two teams of little-known players taking the field before a paltry crowd and defeating the object.

"The IRB needs to show leadership in several areas before arranging another competition," said Tony Dempsey, the players' association chairman and chief executive of the Australian RPA. "A number of serious issues regarding players - such as the length of seasons and the number of matches they have to play in - have not been addressed."

Serge Simon, chief executive of the French RPA, said his association "could not support a fixture which is fine in theory but not in reality" while his South African counterpart Piet Heymans said the IRB should consider other ways of raising money for emerging unions.

Leeds and Rotherham are vying to sign the Gloucester wing Daren O'Leary, who has yet to start a match for the Premiership leaders this season, while Swansea yesterday recruited the Queensland second-row Andrew Farley.

Bath have lodged an appeal with the Rugby Football Union against Danny Grewcock's 35-day ban for kicking Saracens' captain Kyran Bracken. Grewcock was sent off and his subsequent ban sidelined him until October 24. An appeal hearing is likely to be convened within the next fort- night, leaving him free to continue playing pending his next appointment with the RFU.