All Blacks winger ruled out for rest of 2026 as injury woes mount

Chiefs and All Blacks winger Leroy Carter will miss the remainder of the 2026 campaign after having ankle surgery following a nasty ankle injury at Eden Park.

Carter picked up the high-ankle injury in the act of scoring in the second half of the first Bledisloe Cup Test at Eden Park against the Wallabies.

The winger charged towards the line after a Peter Lakai pop pass from the base of a ruck, before Wallabies loose-forward Rob Valetini fell on Carter’s lower leg in an attempt to stop the All Black from scoring.

Carter was helped from the field and was ruled out of the second Bledisloe Cup Test in Sydney a week later, before an announcement about his injury came on Monday evening.

 

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Carter joins a long list of injured All Blacks who will miss the rest of the 2026 campaign, including captain Ardie Savea, Chiefs captain Luke Jacobson, and first-five Ruben Love.

There is also an injury cloud around the likes of Ethan Blackadder, Patrick Tuipulotu, Richie Mo’unga, Shannon Frizell and Samisoni Taukei’aho, who are all in doubt for Dave Rennie’s side’s end-of-year tour.

Anton Segner, Asafo Aumua, and Quinn Tupaea are all expected to be named in the squad, even after the trio picked up concussions during the two-Test Bledisloe Cup series against their trans-Tasman rivals.

Taukei’aho left the field late on in Sydney due to calf tightness, only a quarter of an hour into his appearance off the bench, and could miss the tour if it’s deemed to be a multi-week injury.

Mo’unga’s calf injury also has a niggly timeline for Rennie and the coaching staff, after the All Blacks head coach made it clear in Sydney that they believe the Crusaders first-five will be available for the final two Tests of the Nations Championship tour, but are uncertain about the first two Tests against Scotland and Wales.

Frizell, who has just returned to the All Blacks environment, looked to have picked up a non-contact knee injury late on at Accor Stadium in Sydney, going down in midfield after looking to take a hit-up.

Jordie Barrett also missed the second Bledisloe Cup Test due to calf tightness, but it was deemed to be precautionary, rather than a new injury.

The All Blacks will name what’s expected to be a 34-36-man squad for their four-Test Nations Championship tour of Europe on Tuesday NZT, which includes fixtures against Scotland at Murrayfield, Wales in Cardiff, and England in London, before a finals weekend clash at Allianz Stadium against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.