Blues lock and captain Patrick Tuipulotu will miss the rest of the Super Rugby Pacific season and the start of the All Blacks’ campaign due to a knee injury.

Tuipulotu tore a medial ligament in his right knee during the Blues’ quarter-final win over the Fijian Drua on Saturday, forcing him off the field after just 20 minutes.

The Blues have confirmed that Tuipulotu will be sidelined for up to seven weeks, ruling him out of upcoming matches.

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This injury is a significant blow to the Blues, who will face the Brumbies in the semi-final at Eden Park. Rookie lock James Thompson stepped up during the quarter-final, and Sam Darry is set to return, but Tuipulotu’s absence is a considerable loss.

For the All Blacks, coach Scott Robertson now faces a challenging decision on filling the experienced lock position, further complicated by the recent departures of Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick.