Blues and All Blacks winger Joe Rokocoko will be out of rugby between three and four months after wrist surgery this week.

His Super 14 season is over and a test midway through the Tri-Nations appears his earliest chance of returning from the injury suffered during the Blues' match against the Western Force at Albany last month.

Rokocoko had since played with little pain against the Stormers, Bulls and Waratahs.

However, playing on increased the chance of arthritis according to Blues team doctor Stephen Kara, who said initial x-rays showed there were no bone injuries.

"At training during that week it became clinically obvious that Joe had ruptured the scapho-lunate ligament in the wrist," Kara said.

"This is a ligament that stabilises the small carpal/wrist bones and if not surgically repaired, will lead to long term disruption of all the wrist bones and painful arthritis within five years."

Kara said he had consulted the All Blacks medical staff throughout the process.

Rokocoko said while the injury wasn't painful, it was obvious problems would arise if he carried on playing with it.

"Today I just know that I can't carry on playing otherwise there will be a few more complications later in my career," he said.

"It's hard for me to leave the team and not play, especially when my wrist doesn't really hurt.

"The risks long-term outweigh any option to keep on playing for the short term."

Blues coach David Nucifora explained what his team would miss most.

"A big, fit 106kg experienced winger," he told reporters.

"His contribution on and off the field for the Blues this season has been tremendous and we will certainly miss him from our ranks.

"Post-surgery Joe will continue to play a support role within our squad and we will be doing all we can to assist with his recovery."

The big Fijian's absence will add further intrigue to All Blacks coach Graham Henry's first post-World Cup selection late next month.

With Doug Howlett now playing in Britain, the inclusion of a winger who wasn't in Henry's World Cup squad last year is almost a certainty.

Chiefs Sitiveni Sivivatu looks set to retain his place in the squad but it will be interesting to see if he can maintain the form that helped bring the Chiefs to life against the ACT Brumbies last Friday.

The Hurricanes' Ma'a Nonu has run hot and cold like his Hurricanes team but he now appears to be settling better on the wing.

Among the form players who could burst into the test scene are Blues Rudi Wulf and Anthony Tuitavake - a strong player who lacks genuine pace - Highlanders' Fetu'u Vainikolo and perhaps Chief flyer Lelia Masaga.

The first tests of the year are against Ireland (June 7) and England (June 14 and 21).

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