Dan Carter is a New Zealand born rugby union player. Carter has enjoyed an incredibly successful career and is regarded by many legends of the game as the greatest ever fly-half. As the highest point scorer in test match rugby, it is clear to see why Carter is held in such high regard.
Carter’s iconic career started at local stateside, Canterbury, in 2002. After an impressive start to his career, he was signed by Super Rugby side the Crusaders; some experts say this is where Carter’s legacy started. Instantly a regular in the Crusaders line-up, Carter helped the club reach the final of the Super 12 competition in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Victories in 2005 and 2006 were memorable, but the 2006 season was one of Carter’s most prolific, he scored the most individual points for a player in one season with 221 points.
After a successful start to his domestic career for Canterbury, Carter was soon called up to the ‘All Blacks’ squad in 2003. He made his debut for New Zealand in a convincing victory over Wales, Carter played a crucial part in the victory scoring 20 points- this was definitely a debut to remember! Carter was a part of the World Cup squad in 2003 and played a crucial role in New Zealand’s tournament.
Many successful seasons for Crusaders didn’t go unnoticed and European clubs were soon very interested in acquiring Carter’s services. In 2008, Carter was offered ‘the biggest rugby contract in world rugby’ by Stade Toulousain, instead of accepting this offer, Carter signed for Perpignan in a deal that would see him earn £30,000 per game. Despite being injured for the majority of his first season, Carter played a vital role in Perpignan’s Top 14 winning campaign.
In 2005, Carter broke yet another record after scoring 33 points in a Test Match against the Lions. This made him the All Blacks record holder for most points in a single Test Match against the Lions, surpassing the previous record of 18 points. In this match, he scored two tries, five penalties and four conversions, this was later recognised as the perfect fly-half performance in the modern era.
Carter’s legacy and legendary status continued to grow and he soon became the highest point scorer of all time after scoring a penalty against Wales in 2010. Carter eventually played 112 times for New Zealand, he scored 1,598 points in this time; this meant he averaged 14.27 points per game which is currently the highest average for players who have scored more than 500 test points.
Not only did Carter build one of the greatest rugby union careers of all time, but he also bought the game to life with his creativity, flair and expertise. Watching Carter play filled everyone with joy and excitement, and this has been replicated through his outstanding ability as a rugby speaker. Carter enjoys speaking about his remarkable career but often discusses peak performance, dealing with pressure and being under the spotlight.
