France's Rugby World Cup campaign has suffered a major setback, with halfback Laure Sansus ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a serious knee injury.
Widely regarded as one of the world's premier players, Sansus, 28, was a key piece of the puzzle for France, who are one of tournament favourites.
"Following the injury sustained during the match against England, Laure Sansus suffers from a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee," the French rugby federation (FFR) said. "She is therefore out for the rest of the World Cup."
The injury means Sansus' career is now over, with the World Cup in New Zealand being her last tournament.
"You never choose your exit and my situation is a perfect example of that," Sansus said. "Of course, I would have preferred to end my career differently."
France started with a 40-5 victory against South Africa, with Sansus crossing for two tries, before being edged 13-7 by England. They next face Fiji on Saturday.
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