New Zealand have confirmed the injury-enforced replacement of a key member of Ian Foster’s World Cup squad in France.
Crusaders loose forward Ethan Blackadder is joining the All Blacks as a replacement for winger Emoni Narawa, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the competition due to a back injury.
It is the latest injury setback for the three-time winners, who minutes before Friday’s tournament-opening defeat to Les Bleus in Paris withdraw captain Sam Cane, as a precautionary measure for a back spasm which he suffered in training on Thursday.
Blackadder, 28, is scheduled to fly out of New Zealand on Sunday and will join the team in Lyon before the All Blacks’ next pool matches against Namibia in Toulouse on 15 September.
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A team update from France 📣#AllBlacks #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/WbsDJWL8ll
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) September 9, 2023
Photo: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP