Ruben Love will play no further part in New Zealand's 2025 international programme after sustaining an ankle injury in South Africa that requires surgery, Sky Sport NZ's Breakdown has revealed.
The Hurricanes fly-half started all but one of the All Blacks' Tests this year — the defeat to the Springboks in Baltimore — and was omitted from the squad named for the Bledisloe Cup matches against Australia. Richie Mo'unga and Josh Jacomb are the specialist tens in that group, with Damian McKenzie and Beauden Barrett also available as options at 10.
Love, 25, debuted under Scott Robertson in October 2024 and cemented himself as Dave Rennie's first-choice number 10 this season, a run that included leading the Hurricanes to their first Super Rugby Pacific title in a decade. The injury cuts short what had been a career-defining year.