Rugby League World Cup 2026: Kayln Ponga to have surgery on broken forearm

New Zealand has declined to rule Kalyn Ponga out of the Rugby League World Cup 2026 after he broke his forearm, with surgery planned. Ponga played through the injury for about 20 minutes during Thursday’s tournament opener against co-hosts Australia, which the Kiwis lost 24-22. He continued to stay on the field after breaking his arm in a tackle involving Kangaroos stand-off Cameron Munster, scoring the second of his two tries, before being taken off in the 70th minute. Team doctor Greg Macleod said Ponga will remain with the squad after surgery, giving him an outside chance to be fit for the final in Brisbane on 15 November. Gold Coast Titans full-back Keano Kini is set to replace him for New Zealand’s remaining Pool A matches against the Cook Islands in Christchurch on 25 October and Fiji in Gold Coast on 31 October.