Kieran Hardy sidelined for rest of season after knee surgery as he eyes 2027 World Cup

Wales scrum-half Kieran Hardy faces a race to be fit for next year's World Cup in Australia after undergoing surgery this week for a serious knee injury sustained in the United Rugby Championship victory against Dragons at Rodney Parade.

Hardy, 30, who joined Ospreys from Scarlets, has had surgery following the injury and Ospreys head coach Mark Jones confirmed he will miss the remainder of the season but hopes he can recover in time for the tournament, which starts in October 2027.

Jones described the injury's severity in detail: "It is a serious knee injury which has needed surgery, which tells you its extent," he said. "It was a major ligament of the knee and he has got some other bits and pieces that needed rectifying as well."

On the recovery timeline Jones added: "We are definitely not going to see him this season, we just hope he has a good rehabilitation, there are no kinks in the road and everything goes to plan." He said the club would monitor progress with the next season and the World Cup in mind.

At international level Hardy has been a regular Wales deputy for Tomos Williams; Ospreys team-mate Reuben Morgan-Williams and the uncapped Dragons number nine Che Hope have been named in Steve Tandy's side for the Nations Championship in November. Hardy has never played in a World Cup match but was called up to the squad in the tournament in France as injury cover in 2023.

Jones set the World Cup as a target for Hardy while urging patience: "That will be his target but you have to go with the speed the body lets you," he said. "You have to have goals when you are out for a lengthy period and what better target than playing for your country at a World Cup. "That is an awesome goal that will keep him on track. He is a great professional and he will apply himself. "It is a huge carrot, and until somebody tells him that is not achievable, that is what he will be going for."

The World Cup begins in October 2027, and Ospreys will be monitoring Hardy's rehabilitation closely; as Jones put it, "We will be crossing everything that he is around for the start of the next season and his availability with the World Cup on the horizon."