World Rugby has ruled that All Blacks centre Sonny Bill Williams should miss the first Bledisloe Cup Test against Australia next month while serving a disciplinary suspension.
Williams was banned for four matches after being sent off during the second test against the British and Irish Lions on July 1 for a dangerous shoulder charge on Lions winger Anthony Watson.
He missed the third test of the Lions series, a Super Rugby match for the Auckland-based Blues and is due to sit out a match for his Counties-Manukau province against North Harbour.
The All Blacks hoped a further match involving the Counties team would be taken into consideration as part of Williams’ suspension. But World Rugby has ruled the match is not “meaningful” and Williams’ suspension will end on August 20, the day after the Bledisloe Cup test.