Wales back George North has confirmed that he has ruptured his knee ligament and will miss the upcoming British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa.

North suffered the injury while playing for the Ospreys in the PRO14 Rainbow Cup this past Saturday and had to be helped off the field.

After undergoing scans on his knee during the week, North confirmed on social media that he has ruptured his anterior-cruciate ligament and will have to undergo surgery next week.

This will inevitably rule him out of selection for the Lions series against the Springboks, which gets under way in July.

Sport can be cruel. We all know the risks when we take the field. Unfortunately I ruptured my ACL on Saturday and will need surgery next week. Heartbroken is an understatement. ? pic.twitter.com/icNDEmYmHE

— George North (@George_North) April 28, 2021

North was expected to be named in Warren Gatland’s streamlined 36-man squad for the tour, which will be officially announced on 6 May.

The 29-year-old has been in excellent form and was key to Wales’ 2021 Six Nations championship win.

North was part of the Lions’ tour of Australia back in 2013, when they secured a 2-1 series win over the Wallabies. At 28 years and 320 days old, he became the youngest player to earn 100 caps for his country when he lined up against England during this year’s Six Nations.

Photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images