All Blacks lose Proctor to fractured shoulder on South Africa tour
Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- New Zealand center Billy Proctor will miss the rest of the All Blacks' South Africa tour due to a fractured shoulder.
- Proctor sustained the injury during the team's victory over the Stormers in Cape Town.
- He is the second player to be sent home injured, following hooker George Bell's calf injury.
New Zealand center Billy Proctor is heading home from the All Blacks' tour of South Africa after sustaining a fractured shoulder during the team's 38-21 win against the Stormers in Cape Town.
Proctor appeared uncomfortable when he left the field following an injury at a ruck. Scans confirmed a fracture of the shoulder blade, which will require an estimated 10 to 12 weeks of recovery. The injury rules him out of the remainder of the tour.
He is the second player to be sidelined on this tour, with hooker George Bell having already returned home due to a calf injury sustained during training.
There has been no official announcement regarding a replacement player. However, local media reports in New Zealand suggest this situation might create an opportunity for flyhalf Richie Mo'unga to rejoin the squad. The All Blacks have three more matches against South African franchise teams, beginning with a game against the Sharks in Durban on Tuesday. They are also scheduled to face the world champion Springboks in four test matches starting August 22, with the final test taking place in Baltimore, United States.
Scans have revealed Billy Proctor has a shoulder blade fracture. This will not require surgery but will take approximately 10 to 12 weeks of recovery, meaning Billy has been ruled out of the remainder of the tour.
Originally published by CNA. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.