England star Tom Curry to miss Six Nations after being ruled out for the rest of the season… as Sale flanker requires surgery on hip injury

England and Sale winger Tom Curry has been ruled out of the rest of the season due to a hip injury requiring surgery in what amounts to a devastating blow for the player.

Curry, 25, won his 50th cap in England’s bronze medal match against Argentina, which saw Steve Borthwick’s side finish a surprise third in the tournament.

But he will now miss not only the 2024 Six Nations and the summer tour of New Zealand with his country, but also the entire Premiership and Champions Cup campaigns with his ambitious club.

Curry has not played for Sale since the World Cup and director of rugby Alex Sanderson announced on Tuesday that he will face another lengthy spell on the sidelines.

“Tom needs hip surgery which will rule him out for the rest of the season,” Sanderson said.

Ben Earl will also be out of action for up to eight weeks after undergoing surgery on his knee

‘He has been back to London to have further extensive x-rays done by another consultant and this is what is best for him in the short term.

“I know it sounds longer term, the season, but it’s not.

“He’s still a young boy and the best thing for him in the short term is to make sure he can become more robust so he can train and develop his game the way he wants to. He just has some wear issues around his socket and a small bone that needs to be shaved off and cleaned up.

‘I understand there are three of this kind that you can suffer at your hip. One of them is this one, which is the least invasive. Then you can get a metal resurfacing and then you can get a hip replacement, so I think it’s the best of the lesser evils.”

Curry also missed the Six Nations and 2023 World Cup warm-ups with various injuries.

He returned to the tournament in France but was sent off against Argentina and subsequently found himself at the center of a racism storm involving South Africa’s Bongi Mbonambi.

“I was more upset than he was,” Sanderson said of Curry’s latest fitness boost.

“I’m sure there will be ebbs and flows over the next four or five months and I hope to be part of that journey with him as we get him back to where he needs to be. This is certainly not the worst that can happen and he is very positive about being able to step into a Sale shirt again.”

Curry, 25, won his 50th cap in England’s bronze medal match against Argentina at the World Cup

Steve Borthwick will now have to assess his injured squad ahead of next year’s Six Nations

Meanwhile, Curry’s international teammate Ben Earl will be out for six to eight weeks after knee surgery but should return to action for England in the Six Nations.

The Saracens back row was one of the star players for Borthwick at the World Cup.

Earl was injured in the warm-up of Saracens’ win over London rivals Harlequins on Saturday, but his club are relieved his dismissal will not be as bad as initially feared.

Saracens have lost center Alex Lozowski to a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an anterior cruciate knee injury against Harlequins.

‘Ben had minor knee surgery this morning. It was his medial meniscus,” said Saracens rugby director Mark McCall. ‘We expect him to be out for six to eight weeks.

‘Overall I think it would be a good result. I think he will play in January.

‘There are three or four games in the month of January, so that would be plenty of time for Ben to get in (for the Six Nations). He’s had a busy time with plenty of minutes in August, September and October, so a six-week spell away from rugby could be good for him in the long run.

Curry claimed South Africa’s Bongi Mbonambi called him a ‘white bastard’ at the World Cup

The England flanker reported the alleged comment to referee Ben O’Keeffe during the World Cup semi-final, but the South African star was acquitted due to ‘insufficient evidence’ to prosecute

‘Unfortunately Alex suffered a cruciate ligament injury last weekend and will be out for a lot longer. Alex will have surgery next Wednesday. It’s a shame for him, but it’s better news for Ben.

“He (Lozowski) has been such a reliably good player for us since he came here. To be honest, I can’t remember the last time he got hurt. Suffering an injury is never easy. As far as I know it’s a common ACL injury that you can get, which could affect how quickly you come back.”

Another England player, Elliot Daly, is back in full training with Saracens after withdrawing from the Harlequins match as a precaution.

Gloucester prop Val Rapava-Ruskin has been dealt a ‘devastating blow’ in his bid to break into the England squad with knee surgery that will rule him out of the Six Nations.