Dan Carter hints at rugby 'comeback' with cryptic video

Dan Carter is set to make a return to rugby – but in what capacity?

The former All Blacks flyhalf, who was a key member in the team’s 2015 World Cup title victory, retired from test football following that tournament but has remained active in various levels of the game since.

After stints with Racing 92 in France and Kobelco Steelers in Japan, Carter returned to New Zealand in 2020 and linked up with the Blues, but failed to take the field for the Super Rugby club.

Carter announced on social media earlier this year that he was officially retiring from the game.

The Black Ferns have made significant progress both on and off the field.

The Black Ferns have made significant progress both on and off the field.

“I’ve thought about this on so many occasions but today is the day and I am very grateful that I can do it on my terms,” he wrote.

“I’m officially retiring from professional rugby. A sport I’ve played for 32 years which has helped shape me into the person I am today.

“For now, I’m sad to walk away from playing but the timing is right. Rugby will always be a part of my life. Thank you.”

In a video posted on Instagram on Tuesday afternoon, however, Carter suggested that a return to the rugby field was on the horizon – but shed little details on what that would entail.

“Kia ora whanau,” Carter said. “I’ve just finished a kicking session. I’m in the middle of training for a little comeback on the rugby field actually. In exactly what capacity, I can’t really say too much at the moment.”

Carter then proceeds to explain how to nail a banana goal kick – something he famously performed for the Crusaders against the Highlanders in 2007.

 

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It’s his comments at the start of the video which will have many tongues wagging, given the first five-eighth is widely considered one of the best players to ever grace an All Blacks jersey.

One of Carter’s great rivals, Australia’s Matt Giteau, recently announced that he was coming on board as an ambassador for the newly proposed World 12s competition – a unique take on rugby union incorporating some tweaks to the laws, which is aiming to lure in a swathe of top-tier players for the first competition set to kick off in 2022.

Steve Hansen – Carter’s former coach with the All Blacks – is another big-name ambassador for the game, and it could be that Carter is joining Giteau and Hansen in some capacity with the competition.

Alternatively, Carter could be eyeing up a return to the field in New Zealand’s NPC competition – or could be lining up an opportunity somewhere else in the world, such as America’s Major League Rugby. Alternatively, the 39-year-old could simply be considering another stint with the Southbridge rugby club in Christchurch or a small-scale coaching role.

Unsurprisingly, the test centurion still has a huge following around the globe and his addition to any tournament would attract significant interest from all corners of the rugby world.