Carter’s drink- driving shame
Former All Black Dan Carter has apologised for drink- driving, saying he made a “massive error of judgment”.
Carter posted the apology on Facebook after being caught drink- driving in Paris.
“No excuses — I made a massive error of judgment and have let down my club, my fans and most importantly my family,” he wrote.
“I will have to now let the police/ court process run its course and face the consequences. I am just glad no one was harmed. Sorry.”
Carter, who plays for the Racing 92 club in Paris, was nabbed while driving near the Champs- Elysees in central Paris on Wednesday night. He reportedly did not have his driver’s licence with him and had a blood alcohol level almost twice the legal limit. The drink- drive limit of 0.5mg is the same in New Zealand.
According to French media, Carter was not held in custody or put in a sobering cell, but his car was impounded. He will reportedly appear in court.
France- based Radio Sport correspondent Catherine Field warned that French drink- driving laws were much stricter than in the past, when the wine- drinking culture was prevalent. “There’s a real feeling here over the past four or five years that drinkdriving
isn’t a good thing to do any more,” she said. “People have realised that picture of France of 30 years ago, when you could go out and have a great lunch and a pastis, and then drive home . . . those are the old days. Now, it’s very strict.
“[ Dan Carter] will probably lose his licence. What type of financial penalty will again be up to the judge.”
The other imponderable is how his club will react.
Carter, with Racing 92 clubmates ex- All Black Joe Rokocoko and Argentina wing Juan Imhoff , was cleared by the French Rugby Federation last year after proving that the traces of corticosteroids found in urine samples were down to their being granted therapeutic- use exemptions for prescribed medication as they recovered from injuries. “This is a very serious offence. Whether they will support him again, that is a big question.” Carter signed with Racing 92 after winning his second World Cup with the All Blacks in 2015. The deal is reported to be the most lucrative contract in professional rugby, estimated at more than $ 2 million a season. Carter is the highest point scorer in the history of test rugby.