Leicester Fainga'anuku out of All Blacks contention with broken leg

The Crusaders have announced that Leicester Fainga’anuku will miss 10-12 weeks with a broken leg sustained in the team’s semi-final loss to the Chiefs.

The openside flanker exited last week’s match 34 minutes into the first half, with his team already trailing 42 points to five, and did not return in the fixture. The Crusaders have revealed that the 12-cap All Black will not require surgery on the injury.

Still, Fainga’anuku’s timeline rules him out until late August at the earliest or mid-September at the latest, meaning he’ll miss the entirety of the July Nations Championship window and at least the beginning of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Series, which runs until September 13.

The fibula fracture takes another incumbent out of All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie’s selection pool for Monday’s squad naming, although it’s unclear what position Fainga’anuku would have been named in, and therefore unclear who could benefit from his absence.

The 26-year-old played his first nine games of the season in the backline, predominantly at centre, before switching to the loose forwards, where he started six games in the No.7 jersey, including the Crusaders’ two knockout games.

Regardless of the number on his back, Fainga’anuku had an impact on both sides of the ball in his 2026 Super campaign. His 23 offloads were tied for the most in the competition, his 64 tackle busts were second-best, his 170 carries were the third-most, and his 15 turnovers won were the fourth-most. He also contributed six try assists and seven tries, and was named in the official Team of the Year as a flanker.