CARTER AIMS TO MATCH CRUSADERS AND ALL BLACKS SUCCESS
Dan Carter said he has come to France to emulate the success he achieved with New Zealand and the Crusaders back in his homeland.
The 33-year-old fly-half arrived in France to join his new club Racing 92 and to renew his association with the French Top 14 championship after a brief stint with Perpignan in 2009, when his team won the league but in which he played only five matches due to a ruptured Achilles tendon.
But after a glory-laden 13 years playing in New Zealand, winning two World Cups, the Super Rugby title four times with Crusaders and nine editions of the Tri-nations or Rugby Championship, Carter remains as hungry as ever.
Asked why he had chosen Racing, Carter said they matched his personal ambition.
“A number of reasons really: the first one for me was the vision of the club,” he said.
“The calibre of players, wanting to strive to win competitions.
“After playing for the Crusaders and the All Blacks, which were two very successful teams, I wanted to play for a team that had a strong vision of winning.
“Also the arena that’s being built, it’s pretty exciting to play in such an amazing arena that’s planned for next year -I’m sure the players are pretty excited about that.
“Just the club itself, its history, the development, the academy... there are lots of great things about Racing that entice players such as myself to come here.” Carter comes to the club just weeks after lifting his second World Cup with New Zealand and being named World Player of the Year for the third time.
Yet Carter says he feels no extra pressure from his iconic reputation.
“There’s always going to be pressure, that’s part of the game that I love,” he said.
“I don’t think there’s going to be any more pressure playing here after what’s happened in my career than before most Test matches.
Just the club itself, its history, the development, the academy... there are lots of great things about Racing that entice players such as myself to come here