Sivivatu joins All Blacks for mid-Tri Nations training

Exciting winger Sitiveni Sivivatu has joined the All Blacks for their mid-Tri-Nations camp in Christchurch.

Sivivatu, 24, has yet to appear in a test this year because of an ongoing knee injury but played well for Waikato in their first Air New Zealand Cup match against Southland on Saturday.

He scored a try at Invercargill and was busy before being replaced midway through the second half with an apparent leg niggle.

All Blacks management stressed that Sivivatu's appearance at the three-day camp was not an official call-up to the Tri-Nations squad of 30.

Instead, the coaches wanted to assess his fitness and form at two training runs today and another tomorrow.

Sivivatu scored four tries on debut against Fiji last year and went on to tally eight tries in his six tests.

The Chiefs and Waikato flyer was included in this year's first All Blacks squad of 39. Injury saw him miss the two tests against Ireland and he was a late withdrawal from the team to play Argentina in Buenos Aires.

His berth went to Canterbury winger Scott Hamilton, who kept his place in the Tri-Nations squad.

Following the three training sessions and a coaches' meeting tomorrow there will be an announcement on which players will be released for third round Air New Zealand Cup matches this weekend.

Meanwhile, Otago captain Craig Newby has been ruled out of rugby for the rest of the year because of a shoulder injury.

Hard-working loose forward Newby will miss the rest of his team's Cup campaign and is out of contention for selection on the All Blacks' year-ending tour to Europe.

The 27-year-old told his Otago team-mates that he would undergo surgery this week and be out for at least four months.

- NZPA