Dan Carter

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Lore & Background

Carter played for the All Blacks in their Rugby World Cup winning teams in both 2011 and 2015, becoming one of 43 players to have won multiple Rugby World Cups. In 2011, he was due to captain against the Canadians, shortly before he suffered a groin injury during the pool stage; in 2015, he played during the entire tournament, including in the final against Australia, where he kicked four penalties, two conversions, and a drop goal, and was named the man of the match. He also won three Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders, and nine Tri-Nations and Rugby Championships with New Zealand.

In Their Own Story

The climax of Carter's career arrived at Twickenham on 31 October 2015 during the Rugby World Cup final against Australia. With New Zealand needing points to secure victory, Carter delivered a masterclass under pressure. He kicked four penalties and two conversions, including one taken with his right boot, before adding a crucial drop goal in the dying moments to seal the win. This performance earned him the Man of the Match award and capped off a tournament where he played every minute, unlike 2011 when he captained the team against France but suffered a groin injury during the pool stage that ruled him out for the rest of the World Cup. In that final match in 2015, his 19 points were instrumental in New Zealand's third title. Following this triumph, he received the IRB Player of the Year award for the third time, cementing his status as a two-time World Cup champion alongside Richie McCaw.

Reader's Guide

Carter made his provincial debut for Canterbury in 2002, and in 2003 was signed by the Super Rugby side the Crusaders. Initially playing mainly at second five-eighth, Carter reached the final of the Super 12 competition with the Crusaders in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. In 2005 and 2006 the Crusaders won the competition. In June 2003, Carter made his All Blacks debut at age 21 in Hamilton, New Zealand, scoring 20 points against Wales. He secured a permanent position as first five-eighth during the 2004 tour to the United Kingdom and France. In 2005, he starred in the All Blacks 48–18 win over the British & Irish Lions, scoring 33 points. He became the highest point scorer of all time on 27 November 2010, overtaking Jonny Wilkinson, and reclaimed the record on 30 July 2011. He scored a total of 1,598 test points (29 tries, 293 conversions, 281 penalties, and 8 drop goals) in 112 tests, with an average of 14.27 points a game.

Did You Know?

• Carter is the only player in international rugby union test history to have scored more than 1,500 test points.
• He was named IRB Player of the Year in 2005, 2012 and 2015.
• Carter captained the All Blacks for the first time against Canada in 2011, but missed the rest of the tournament due to a groin injury.
• In the 2015 Rugby World Cup final, he scored four penalties, two conversions, and a drop goal, and was named man of the match.