Boks set to lose Etzebeth for start of Rugby Championship

DURBAN : South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth could miss the opening stages of the Rugby Championship with a "serious" shoulder injury that will most likely rule him out of the remainder of the club season, Sharks director of rugby Neil Powell said on Friday.

Etzebeth, a key player for the Springboks as they seek to defend their Rugby World Cup title in France later this year, faces up to 14 weeks on the sidelines after he was injured in the Durban-based Sharks' 50-35 Champions Cup win over Munster last weekend.

"In terms of how long he will be out for, I think it’s quite a long time," Powell told reporters. "I’m not 100 per cent sure, but probably 12 or 14 weeks.

"I don't think he’ll play for us again this season, but he will definitely be ready for the World Cup."

South Africa open their shortened three-match Rugby Championship campaign against Australia in Pretoria on July 8.

Second-row trojan Etzebeth is a vital part of their set-piece and maul, and is the reigning South African Player of the Year.