Caleb Clarke ruled out of Springboks series

All Blacks wing Caleb Clarke has been ruled out of the four-Test series against South Africa after suffering a serious shoulder injury during New Zealand’s 54-0 victory over the Sharks in Durban.

The 27-year-old will return home for surgery, further adding to New Zealand’s injury concerns on their Greatest Rivalry tour.

Caleb Clarke Suffers Shoulder Tendon Injury

Scans confirmed that Clarke ruptured a tendon in his shoulder during Tuesday’s emphatic win over the Sharks.

The Blues winger will now leave the touring squad and undergo surgery in New Zealand. A timeframe for his return to rugby will only become clearer following the procedure.

Clarke has scored 16 tries in 35 Tests and had been pushing strongly for involvement in the opening Test against the Springboks.

All Blacks Opt Against Clarke Replacement

Head coach Dave Rennie confirmed that New Zealand will not immediately call up another player to replace Clarke.

“We are comfortable with the outside backs cover we have at the moment, so will not be bringing another squad member in to replace Caleb unless further injuries necessitate it,” said Rennie.

“We are all feeling for Caleb and really sorry to see his Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour come to an early end. He’s an important member of our group, both on and off-field, so we look forward to him making a full recovery.”

All Blacks Injury List Continues to Grow

Clarke becomes the third New Zealand player forced to return home because of injury during the South African tour.

Centre Billy Proctor fractured his shoulder blade against the Stormers, while hooker George Bell suffered a calf injury in training. Richie Mo’unga and Bradley Slater were subsequently called up as replacements.

New Zealand begin their four-Test series against the world champion Springboks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on August 22.