Natalia John: Injured Wales lock John 'heartbroken' to miss WXV1 tournament
- Published
Wales second row Natalia John has won 35 caps for her country
Wales second row Natalia John has been ruled out of WXV1 in New Zealand.
The 27-year-old, capped 35 times, hurt her calf during a training session as the squad prepares for the new World Rugby global tournament in October.
John had only recently returned to training after a shoulder injury ruled her out of the final two games of Wales' 2023 Six Nations campaign.
"This is really heartbreaking after working so hard to get back to fitness," she said.
"These are the tournaments we all want to play in, and missing the opportunity with the squad to test ourselves against the best sides in the world is a real blow for me on a personal level after setting my sights on making the squad.
"I will support the squad from Wales but my focus now is on doing my rehab and getting back to full fitness ahead of the next Six Nations."