A key figure in the England Sevens set-up, Dowson was joint vice captain of the Falcons last season, before touring with England to Canada in the Churchill Cup in the summer.

Falcons director of rugby, Rob Andrew, said: "This is a devastating blow for Phil, who has really developed as a player in recent years and become a vital member of the squad.

"It just goes to show how important strength in depth is these days, and we are lucky that we now have the likes of Owen Finegan and Ben Woods coming back from injury.

"To be without Phil for such a length of time is a major setback, but he is a strong character and I am sure he will come back from this."