All Blacks lose first-choice No.10 Ruben Love to ankle surgery for remainder of 2026

Ruben Love has been ruled out for the remainder of 2026 after the All Blacks confirmed the Hurricanes first-five requires surgery on an ankle ligament injury sustained during the team’s tour of South Africa.

Love had established himself as head coach Dave Rennie’s preferred No.10 across six Test starts this year, earning the trust of the coaching staff despite the availability of experienced options in Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie, and Richie Mo’unga. The injury, a recurrence of an ankle problem that first surfaced during the Super Rugby Pacific season, ends his involvement in the upcoming Bledisloe Cup series against Australia.

“Ruben Love will undergo surgery after sustaining an ankle ligament injury, ruling him out for the remainder of the year,” read an All Blacks statement. “Wishing Ruben all the best with his surgery and recovery.”

Former All Blacks first-five Aaron Cruden, now an assistant coach at Waikato, expressed sympathy for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific title-winning playmaker. “I am devastated for Rube, because he earned it through the way that he played and conducted himself through Super Rugby,” Cruden said. “What a test to go and challenge yourself against the world champions over in South Africa. I think all of us are just thinking of Ruben right now, hoping that he recovers really quickly.”

Ex-All Blacks prop John Afoa acknowledged the timing of the setback, with Love poised to build further momentum heading into a World Cup year. “He was up there in South Africa against the world’s best, and he would have come back for the Tests against Australia and really found some real confidence going into the World Cup year,” Afoa said. “I’m sure he’ll be disappointed, but he’s the kind of kid that still feels like he’s young enough to bounce back with a smile on his face.”

Former All Blacks winger Jeff Wilson highlighted the broader concern around Love’s injury history. “It’s a shame, because he’s a player who’s had a number of injuries over his career to date already, and just when he’s starting to build his confidence in the jersey — he led the Hurricanes to a title — this is devastating for him because he was making so many gains,” Wilson said. “The experience he was getting, now he’s going to have to wait longer. He’s almost got to get himself back into this type of form again, and that’s not going to be easy.”

With Love sidelined, Rennie will now look to Barrett, McKenzie, or Mo’unga to fill the No.10 role for the Bledisloe Cup, as New Zealand begin preparations for the 2027 Rugby World Cup on home soil in Australia.