New Zealand suffered a major blow to their preparations for the upcoming British and and Irish series when captain Kieran Read fractured his thumb in Super Rugby action on Saturday and was forced to undergo surgery.

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The number eight sustained the fracture to the base of his right thumb in Canterbury Crusaders' 48-21 victory over South Africa's Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday night and would be sidelined for around six weeks, the Super Rugby side said.

Read is expected to lead the world champions in the highly-anticipated three-test series against the tourists, which begins with the first test on June 24 in Auckland.

"(It is) extremely disappointing for Kieran and the All Blacks," Crusaders assistant coach Jason Ryan told New Zealand media.

"The guy has worked so hard off the field to get his hand right from the surgery he had during the offseason and has been world class since returning to the field.

"Obviously it's disappointing and will be concerning for the All Blacks."

Read had surgery on his right wrist during the off season and would have been looking forward to a few more outings with the Crusaders before joining up with the All Blacks squad.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)