Jonny Wilkinson. Photo / Getty Images
Jonny Wilkinson will have shoulder surgery at the end of the season and has been ruled out of England's tour of New Zealand in June, news agency AP has reported.
The Rugby Football Union announced overnight (NZ time) that the first five-eighths, who lost his place to Danny
Cipriani for England's final Six Nations game against Ireland, needs an operation to repair a long-standing cartilage tear.
"We decided with Newcastle Falcons and Jonny that it was in his best interests to have this operation at the end of the season so that he can spend the summer rehabilitating," RFU Elite Rugby Director and tour manager Rob Andrew said.
"Of course, we would have liked him to tour and we intend to take our strongest available squad, but player welfare is important and in this case it's the right call for Jonny not to go to New Zealand", AP quoted Andrew as saying.
England will name a 32-man squad on May 13 to play the All Blacks on June 14 in Auckland and June 21 in Christchurch.
