The Crusaders have suffered a blow just days out from the start of the Super Rugby Pacific season with All Blacks winger Will Jordan ruled out of the entire competition with injury.
The defending champions said Jordan has recently been under conservative management due to a pre-existing shoulder injury from the 2023 season.
"After assessment from the Crusaders medical team he will undergo surgery and as a result be unavailable for selection during the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season," the team said.
He's expected to be fit to return to play in approximately six months, meaning he's set to miss the All Blacks July test series against England and possibly the first half of the Rugby Championship, which runs in July, August and September.
Jordan starred at last year's World Cup, where the All Blacks finished runners-up, scoring a record equalling eight tries, the most in a single men's World Cup.
Jonah Lomu, Bryan Habana and Julian Savea are the other joint record holders.
He also became just the third player in the tournament's history to score a hat-trick in a men's World Cup semi-final when he dotted down three times against Argentina.
He has played 52 games for the Crusaders since debuting in 2019.
The Crusaders have won seven straight Super Rugby titles.
