The Hurricanes will be without new All Black Ruben Love when Super Rugby Pacific kicks off in 2025 due to an ankle injury.
The 30-cap Hurricanes fullback was revealed to have been managing an ankle issue throughout 2024 and has now decided to take the option of surgery during the offseason.
A three to four-month recovery timeline has been given, meaning an estimated return would fall halfway through the Super Rugby season.
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“I look forward to being back to full fitness next year to represent the people of the Hurricanes region and going to battle with my brothers,” Love said in a statement.
Love was one of the frontrunners to assume the Hurricanes’ No. 10 jersey in 2025 while familiar first five-eighth Brett Cameron manages his recovery from an ACL injury suffered in the recent NPC season.
Only time will tell what position the one-time All Black returns in, but after Hurricanes assistant coach Cory Jane let slip that Love’s ultimate ambition was the black 10 jersey, it seems likely the 23-year-old would be putting his name forward for the playmaker role.
Hurricanes head coach Clark Laidlaw said following the Cameron injury that there are a number of candidates for the role and all of them will get their chance in preseason.
“We’re probably pretty lucky, if you lose Brett to an injury and Aidan (Morgan) is obviously off to Ulster, to have somebody like a Lucas Cashmore, we are quite excited around Lucas. He’s been in the system, he’s played New Zealand U20s, he’s played at the Blues,” Laidlaw told reporters in Wellington following the Hurricanes squad announcement in November.
“I thought he played really well for Bay of Plenty when he was coming on. Obviously (Kaleb) Trask got a lot of starts but Lucas came on.
“But then Riley (Hohepa) coming in for Brett’s injury, somebody who’s played Super Rugby, played particularly well, played a lot at 12 for Counties (Manukau) but somebody who’s been here before, a great man off the field, super organised, diligent, mature. So to come in and get him as a replacement for Brett, we feel really fortunate. And if you add Ruben and Harry (Godfrey) to that mix, it still feels like we’re in a really solid spot in that position,
“There’s a lot of growth in some of those younger players, in particular Harry and Lucas, to really mature as first-fives that can really put pressure on Brett when he gets back.”
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