Wallaby flanker Phil Waugh will have ankle surgery next week which will sideline him for at least three months, a New South Wales Rugby spokesman said today.
The surgery, to correct irritation of tendons in his ankle, means he will miss Australia's two internationals against France next month as well as the Bledisloe Cup and Tri Nations campaign against New Zealand and South Africa.
Waugh injured his ankle last month playing for the NSW Waratahs against the Wellington Hurricanes but returned to the field in the Waratahs' 51-10 Super 12 semi-final loss to the ACT Brumbies on Saturday.
The NSW Rugby spokesman said the injury wasn't aggravated by playing this weekend, and Waugh was always going to have surgery once the Waratahs' Super 12 season commitments were completed.
He is the second leading Waratah player to have surgery after Wallaby centre Nathan Grey had a knee reconstruction operation late last month.
Grey suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage and is out for the rest of the year.
AFP