All Blacks captain Scott Barrett ruled out for up to five months, to miss Springboks series

All Blacks captain Scott Barrett has been ruled out for up to five months with a back injury that will require surgery, the Crusaders and New Zealand camp confirmed on Wednesday, meaning he will miss the four-Test series against South Africa.

Surgery to follow failed conservative treatments

Crusaders coach Rob Penney told reporters in Christchurch that the 88-Test veteran would undergo an operation this week.

“He has tried every non-invasive trick you could do to get right and it just hasn’t come off, so he’ll be in the operating theatre by the end of the week,”

Penney said.

Timing and competitions affected

The injury and forthcoming surgery mean Barrett will miss New Zealand’s home Nations Championship Tests against France, Italy and Ireland in July, and the national team’s subsequent tour of South Africa in August and September, which includes four Tests against the Springboks.

Background and recent form

Penney said Barrett had taken a sabbatical earlier this year to recover from persistent lower leg injuries and had planned a return in April, only for his back to flare up.

“He was in great shape, he had a great break, and he’d come back very excited,”

Penney said.

“He’s got his head around it now. It’s a pretty special trip to South Africa that he’s going to miss and some other bits and pieces. Ultimately, he’s just got to get himself right.”

Captaincy and selection questions

The source notes Barrett’s future role with the All Blacks had been in question after Scott Robertson was fired as head coach in January. Barrett took on the captaincy when Robertson was appointed in 2024, and his performances for New Zealand had attracted criticism.

With Dave Rennie named head coach in March, several players were mentioned as possible captaincy candidates, including Ardie Savea, Codie Taylor and Barrett’s brother Jordie. Rennie said he had called on former players and an NBA star to advise on the decision:

“We’ve spent a lot of time talking to last year’s leaders. We had a two-hour catch-up with those guys and invited people like Richie McCaw and Dan Carter, Keven Mealamu and actually (New Zealand NBA star) Steven Adams, and they spoke about their views around leadership. There will be a lot of talk about captaincy but the ability to grow the leadership within the group is paramount for us.”

Next steps for the All Blacks

Rennie is scheduled to name his first All Blacks squad for the Nations Championship Tests on June 22, leaving the new coach with just over a year to prepare for the next World Cup in Australia.

Other Crusaders injury news

The Crusaders will also be without All Blacks wing Will Jordan, who has been ruled out of the remainder of the Super Rugby season with a calf injury, though the report said he should be fit for the July Tests.

AFP