Hurricanes and All Blacks halfback Cam Roigard could be out for nearly a month with another leg injury.
Roigard has been listed as unavailable for selection by the Hurricanes to face Moana Pasifika because of a calf injury.
He is expected to return in three to four weeks.
Seven changeshave been made by the table-topping side for their game this weekend, with head coach Clark Laidlaw having explained this is partly due to injuries picked up in their last match against the Crusaders.
“It’s an opportunity for the squad to use its depth, and we expect the boys who are coming in to play well,” Laidlaw said.
Roigard chipped in with a try of his own against the Canterbury-based team last weekend, helping his team take a two-point lead in first place on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder ahead of the Blues.
Roigard has struggled through injury throughout his career, keeping him sidelined for extended periods of time.
Cam Roigard has been ruled out for three to four weeks with a calf injury. Photo / Photosport
In 2024, he was ruled out for up to six months with a ruptured patella tendon in his left leg during an impressive 47-12 victory over the Highlanders.
In 2025, he suffered a stress fracture in his foot, which kept the halfback out of the All Blacks’ Rugby Championship tests against Argentina.
The timeline suggests Roigard could return for the Hurricanes against the Crusaders at the end of May, but it appears he will return for the playoffs, which the Wellington-based team are in pole position for.
Wing Kini Naholo returns to the bench for the Hurricanes for the first time since he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) just over a year ago.
“It’s exciting to welcome a few guys back. The inclusion of Kini is super exciting. He’s done an unreal job with his ACL recovery,” Laidlaw said.
“It was a little bit tricky, after he’d done such a good job recovering from his ACL, to pick up a different injury, but it’s never a straight line back from big injuries.
“He’s been training particularly well for the past month, and he’s managed to get two club games under his belt and he’s itching to get started, so we’re really looking forward to getting him on the field.”
