Casualty Ward Super Rugby Pacific Pre-season 2024

The Super Rugby Pacific season is about to kick off, which of course means your favourite place to furiously scroll through lists and lists of your favourite player’s injury updates is back! The Casualty Ward is here to deliver all your injury news. We stay on top of all the latest news, with the added insights of our team's Physiotherapist and Podiatrist.

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Returning for Round 1

Max Jorgensen (Waratahs) - Recovering from an ankle operation. Played some minutes in the final trial. Not completely confirmed yet if he will play round 1, but we suspect he will given the lack of depth at fullback. Source.
Izaia Perese (Waratahs) - Injured his foot in the preseason. Returned for trial 3 and will play round 1. Source.
Fergus Lee-Warner (Waratahs) - Returned from an ankle injury in trial 3. Source.
Carlo Tizzano (Force) - Recovered from a concussion to play in the 2nd trial. Source.
Tom Horton (Force) - Won’t play in the 2nd trial with a view to be available for rd 1. Source.
Harry Potter (Force) - Won’t play in the 2nd trial with a view to be available for rd 1. Source.
Nic White (Force)- Had minor shoulder (likely bicep) surgery for an aggravated tendon not expected to keep him out of the opening rounds. Source.
Etonia Waqa (Drua) - Limped off the field in the final trial but recovered for round 1. Source.
Izack Rodda (Force) - Back early from an osteotomy on his foot to lower his arch (called a cavovarus foot reconstruction). Was named for rd 1 then tore his quad in training, now “more unlikely than likely” to play the first round. Source.

Pari Pari Parkinson (Highlanders) - Slowly building up to fitness after his troublesome knee “flared up” at the end of last year which required a clean-up. Source.
Samipeni Finau (Chiefs) - Missed the last trial as he recovered from a preseason injury. expecting to be fit for rd 1. Source.
Simon Parker (Chiefs) - Missed the last trial as he recovered from a preseason injury. expecting to be fit for rd 1. Source.
Asafo Aumua (Hurricanes) - Has not been risked for the 2nd preseason game due to elbow soreness. Source.
Isaia Walker-Leawere (Hurricanes) - starts at lock after being unavailable for the Highlanders match. Source.

Ongoing Injury List:

AUSTRALIA

Western Force
Siosifa Amone - Dislocated his thumb in training and had surgery to repair his ligaments on Monday. 6-8-week return to play. Source.
Harry Hoopert - Sustained a ligament injury in his right knee in training a fortnight ago (as of 20th Feb). Has since undergone surgery and will miss 3-4 months. Source.
Felix Kalapu - Underwent hamstring surgery last week (mid Feb) following a tear in training. Unavailable for the first half of Super Rugby. Source.
Campbell Parata - Recovering from a hamstring injury. Source.
Papillon Sevele - Undergoing rehab in Sydney in preseason for a right ACL injury sustained playing for his club. Source.
Angus Wagner - Unavailable for the first half of Super Rugby following meniscal surgery. Source.
Santiago Medrano - Missing trial 2 as he goes through concussion protocol from last weeks trial. Source.
Jeremy Williams - Still going through concussion protocols after a trial 1 concussion (20th Feb). Source.
Reesjan Pasitoa - Dislocated his elbow in training and had surgery to repair his ligaments on Monday 19th Feb. Will require a 10-12-week recovery period. Putting his return around early May. Source.

Brumbies
Allan Alaalatoa - Ruptured his Achilles end of July. Returns around 9 months post-op, he is expected near the start of the season, roughly March/April. Source.
Connal McInerney - Said to be out for an extended period of time before 2024 begins. Source.
Ben O'Donnell - Said to be out for an extended period of time before 2024 begins. Source.
Ed Kennedy - Missing the preseason with an infection. Racing the clock to be fit for round one. Source.
Sefo Kautai - Missing the preaseason games with a neck injury. Racing the clock to be fit for round one. Source.
Cadeyrn Neville - Tore his hamstring in the first trial. Expected back for round 1. Source.
Rob Valetini - Missed the last trial with a foot injury. On track to return in rd 1. Source.

Reds
James O’Connor - Suffered a hamstring injury in preseason. Likely to miss the first 3-4 rounds. Source.
Angus Blyth - Missed the trials with a knee injury, now in doubt for rd 1 with a back injury. Source.
Massimo De Lutiis - Out of Trial 1 with a hamstring injury and still out for rd 1 of the regular season. Source.
Connor Anderson - Out of Trial 1 with an ankle injury and still out for rd 1 of the regular season. Source.
Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen - His knee blew up after training roughly the end of January. He thought he was out for the season. Much better being drained, recovery set at 2-4 weeks. So he was aiming to be back around round 1. Source.

Rebels
Matt Proctor - Is racing the clock to recover from a hamstring injury in time for rd 1. Source.
Pone Fa’amausili - Needs to prove his fitness to play rd 1. Source.
Cabous Eloff - Needs to prove his fitness to play rd 1. Source.

Waratahs
Will Harrison - Darren Coleman says he is aiming to go back through club rugby around rounds 2-5 (via the Pick and Drive podcast).
Jack Grant - Calf, aiming to return in trial 3. Source.
Ned Hanigan - Suffered a hamstring injury, will be given every chance to prove his fitness for round 1. Source.
Archer Holz - Shoulder, aiming to return for round 2. Source.
Tom Ross - Calf, aiming to return for round 2 at the earliest. Source.
Mesu Kunavula – Knee, will be out for the season. Source.
Dave Porecki - Missed the 2nd trial after picking up an Achilles injury last week. We heard he was expected back for round 2. Source. Definitely won’t play round 1. Source.
Tom Lambert - Likely to miss at least the first month of the season after suffering a meniscus injury at training. The injury is likely to see him miss up to three months, having had surgery the week of Feb 12th after hurting his knee in a rolling maul. Source.
Lalakai Foketi - Rushed to hospital on thursday with a suspected neck injury at training. Can feel his fingers but they will need to investigate what damage he has done. Won’t play this week at least. Source.

NEW ZEALAND
The All Blacks are on leave until early February. Although not confirmed, this may delay their entry into the SR Pacific competition.

Highlanders
Will Tucker - Injured and aiming to return in mid April. Source.
Mitch Dunshea - Recovering from an Achilles Rupture and repair, aiming to return in April. Source.
Thomas Umaga-Jensen - Had an ACL rupture and repair mid September. A 9 month recovery puts him back in mid June so he is likely gone for season. Source.
Ethan De Groot - Misses rd 1 coming back from a knee injury but coach Clarke Dermody said he was available for selection. Source.

Chiefs
Emoni Narawa - Injured his back on the eve of the RWC. Has suffered a setback and won’t be ready for rd 1 as he continues to try to build up his strength during his recovery. Source.
Josh Lord - Sprained his ankle in early February. Back running as of Feb 19th but won’t be ready early enough to play rd 1. Source. An average grade 2 ankle sprain would have him return rds 2-4.
Tyrone Thompson - is set to be back to full training this week as he recovers from an ankle injury (putting him a week behind Lord). Source.
Gideon Wrampling - Is a couple more weeks away (leading into rd 1) as he recovers from an elbow injury. Source.
Kaleb Trask - is still managing a long-term injury and has now been replaced in the official squad. Source.

Hurricanes
TJ Perenara - Aiming for a return from his twice operated Achilles tendon in round 3 despite getting a few minutes in preseason. Source.
Brad Shields - Missed the 2nd trial and now round 1 with plantarfasciitis. This will be an overload issue so no doubt it will compromise how much he can train and potentially play through the early parts of the season. Source.

Crusaders
Braydon Ennor - Out for the season as he recovers from an ACL reconstruction in August. Apparently he had an infection in his knee early post op which has slowed his recovery. He is aiming to play in the back half of 2024. Source.
Fergus Burke - Suffered an Achilles Injury in October. They are optimistic he could return shortly after the team’s round seven bye in mid-April which would be six months. If he has ruptured it that would be the quickest return but it could be much slower. Source.
Codie Taylor - Will miss most of Super Rugby by taking a ‘non-playing sabbatical’. They are reporting that he is expected to return a few weeks before the playoffs, but coach Penney didn’t rule out an early return. Source.
Leigh Halfpenny - Tore his pec muscle in the first trial on February 3rd that forced him from the field in their game with Munster. Expected back in 3-4 months. Source.
Will Jordan - Will go for surgery just before the season kicks off to repair a shoulder that has been a lingering problem since last season. Will miss the entire Super Rugby season. Source.
Ethan Blackadder - Expected to miss the first three or four games with a calf injury. Source.
David Havili - is returning from an extended break and won’t be available until week two. Source.
Fletcher Newell - Out of rd 1 with a concussion. Source.
Brodie McAlister - Injured his knee in the last trial and won’t play rd 1. Source.
Ioane Moananu - Injured his chest during last week’s pre-season match against the Highlanders and won’t play round 1. Source.

Blues
Patrick Tuipulotu - Suffered a fracture to his jaw in the first trial on February 3rd. Said on the season launch that he didn’t need surgery so is expecting to return round 5-6.

PACIFIKA TEAMS

Fiji Drua
Caleb Muntz - Ruptured his ACL in training in September last year. A 9 months post return puts him at mid June. Source.
Kitione Salawa - Injured his left shoulder in round 7 last year and had surgery in Australia. Aiming to return in March this year and is apparently on track at this point. Source.
Ilaisa Droasese - Came off after taking a heavy knock to his knee in the final trial. Source.

Moana Pasifika
Nil reported.

Gone for the season:

This will be completed during the season.

Have we missed something? Drop a comment or tweet and let us know.

Written by your local rugby nerd Harrison Dale.