All Blacks confirm shoulder surgery for injured captain Ardie Savea

All Blacks captain Ardie Savea faces an uncertain return to rugby this season after it was confirmed the All Blacks captain will need surgery on his injured shoulder.

Savea dislocated his shoulder during the All Blacks 29-24 loss to the Springboks on the greatest rivalry tour in South Africa.

It was confirmed by the All Blacks today that the loose forward would need surgery on his shoulder, with a timeframe for his recovery not expected to become clear until after the surgery.

He will miss the two-Test Bledisloe Cup series against Australia next month, with the first match against the Wallabies at Auckland's Eden Park on October 10.

Savea's injury adds to the All Blacks' casualty list, with Luke Jacobson and Caleb Clarke also sidelined for the rest of the year.

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Jacobson was recovering from an elbow tendon injury — picked up in the same match as Savea — while Clarke was recovering from a ruptured shoulder tendon.

Both were expected to be out for around five months and would also miss the Bledisloe Cup series.