Wilkinson to miss England tour of New Zealand

Newcastle flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson needs shoulder surgery and will miss England's tour of New Zealand in June, his club said.

"We would have liked him to tour and we intend to take our strongest available squad," the Rugby Football Union's director of elite rugby Rob Andrew told the BBC.

"But player welfare is important and in this case it's the right call for Jonny not to go to New Zealand."

The 28-year-old Wilkinson, a 2003 World Cup winner and the most prolific points scorer in international rugby, lost his starting place to Danny Cipriani in England's final Six Nations match against Ireland last month.

Wilkinson also missed much of 2004 and 2005 with shoulder and knee injuries.