KEY POINTS:
Blues and All Blacks winger Joe Rokocoko is to undergo wrist surgery this week which will put him out of rugby for three to four months.
The Blues said today Rokocoko had injured his right wrist during the Blues' game against the Western Force last month and would miss the rest of their campaign.
While the injury was not painful, it required surgery and would keep Rokocoko off the field for three to four months, Blues team doctor Stephen Kara said.
"Joe was keen to continue to play prior to surgery and completed games against the Waratahs, Bulls and Stormers," he said.
"We have consulted with the All Black medical staff throughout this process and expect that Joe will most likely be out of rugby for three to four months after his operation which will be done later this week."
Rokocoko's recovery is set to impact on his All Blacks availability.
He will probably miss the June tests against Ireland and England and may struggle to be ready for the Tri-Nations starting in July.
Rokocoko admits he is disappointed, but will follow doctors' advice.
"It's hard for me to leave the team and not play, especially when my wrist doesn't really hurt. But I'm in the hands of the medical staff and the risks long-term outweigh any option to keep on playing for the short term," he says.
- NZPA / NZ HERALD STAFF
