Image: Foremost Media.

Defending SX2 champion Ryder Kingsford has confirmed he is out for this weekend’s 2026 Boost Mobile AUSX Supercross Championship season-opener in Townsville after sustaining a broken collarbone in a practice crash.

The 21-year-old revealed that the incident occurred two weeks ago and, while he has since undergone successful surgery and returned to riding, he’ll wait until New Zealand – the opening round of the Australian Supercross Championship – to return to the gates.

“I had a little injury about two weeks ago now – I ended up unfortunately breaking my collarbone,” Kingsford told MotoOnline. “Luckily, I was able to get it fixed pretty quickly – I was able to get some plates in there, but it’s a huge bummer to not be at round one as the defending champion.

“I got back on the bike yesterday for the first time, but just didn’t feel like I wanted to rush it – it’d be an early comeback to go out and race this weekend after one day on the bike. I felt really good considering the time off, and if this was round one of the [Australian Supercross] championship, I’d 100 percent be on the line this weekend.

“But I’m grateful for the team and the people that we have around me – we discussed after I went riding what would be the best option, and yeah, with the extra time leading into Auckland, we decided there was more to gain by waiting it out and continuing training.”

Kingsford claimed last year’s SX2 title with Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha before defecting to the Yarrive Konsky-led Honda Racing program for the 2026 season. A recent trip to the United States alongside brother Kayd is understood to have been related to a potential future international move with another manufacturer.

“[That trip] was obviously a bit of a secret we were trying to keep under the radar, but it’s hard to keep it a secret,” he continued. “Yeah, I headed over [to the US] for a brief little trip and did some things regarding my future and where I want to take my career.

“Right now, there’s not a lot that I can say, but I’m sure after the last [AUSX] race in Newcastle, everyone will know what is going on. But in all honestly, it was a good trip – I learned a lot of stuff over there and came away with what I wanted to come home with.”