England Rugby League full-back Sam Tomkins has been ruled out of the 2015 International Series against New Zealand after failing to recover from a knee injury which occurred early last season and which has kept him out of action since he last played for the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL on August 30.
The 26-year-old, who re-joins Wigan Warriors for the 2016 First Utility Super League season, will now return to the north-west to be assessed by the Club’s medical team and a leading knee consultant in order to plan his treatment and recovery.
“It is a great shame that Sam will miss the series against New Zealand,” said coach Steve McNamara.
“We wanted to give him every chance to confirm his fitness but it wasn’t to be.
"Sam is devastated to miss out. He was looking forward to the month ahead with England and making a huge impact.
“His recent rehabilitation programme was designed to give him the best chance of a full recovery and playing for England, but the important thing now is for him to have the injury re-assessed and to get himself ready for full fitness as soon as possible.”
England will go into the tournament with 23 players and there will be no replacement for Tomkins.
The three-game series against New Zealand starts at the KC Stadium, Hull on Sunday November 1 (5.00pm) moving on to The Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London on Saturday November 7 (2.30pm). The series concludes at the DW Stadium, Wigan on Saturday November 14 (1.00pm).
