South Africa and Sharks prop Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira has been ruled out of rugby for three to four months after breaking his ankle.

The 26-year-old, who has been capped 32 times by the Boks, sustained the injury during training on Friday.

Mtawarira will now miss at least the first eight Super Rugby matches of the season, the first of which will get underway on February 24 when Sharks face the Bulls.

"Mtawarira has an ankle fracture sustained in a training session when he went over after being tackled," Sharks doctor Ewoudt van der Linde said.

"His expected return to play is three to four months."

The injury is not expected to affect Mtawarira's participation in the Springboks' first matches of the season, when South Africa host England in a three-test series in June.

"He'll probably be training in six weeks' time," Sharks coach John Plumtree said.

The timing of the injury comes as a blow to Sharks following John Smit's departure to Saracens, while Eugene van Staden moved to French club Biarritz.

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