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ENGLAND fly-half Jonny Wilkinson has been ruled out of the forthcoming tour to New Zealand because of injury.

The Rugby Football Union confirmed the 28-year-old will undergo shoulder surgery when the current season ends.

It means the Newcastle Falcons player will miss the June 14 clash in Auckland and the following week's fixture in Christchurch.

Wilkinson, 28, missed his club's seventh consecutive Guinness Premiership defeat away to Sale Sharks on Sunday because of concussion.

However, it is a shoulder problem that means he will not play a part in the tour to New Zealand, which will be under the guidance of RFU elite rugby director Rob Andrew, with newlyappointed team manager Martin Johnson staying in England with his pregnant wife Kay.

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 is the right call for Jonny not to go to New Zealand. 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.'' Wilkinson became the highest points scorer in Test history during this year's RBS 6 Nations campaign - but lost his place to Danny Cipriani in the final match against Ireland. However, having signed a new two-year contract with his club, Wilkinson had set his sights on forcing his way back into the team. After missing the Sale loss he is expected to return for the visit of Worcester Warriors in the European Challenge Cup semifinal.

But once Newcastle's season is over, Wilkinson will undergo surgery on what is described as a long-standing labral (cartilage) tear''.

The surgery also means the fly-half will not be available for England's match against the Barbarians at Twickenham on June 1.

6:20pm Monday 21st April 2008

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