Leroy Carter names All Blacks XV rookie among four fastest SVNS players

Leroy Carter’s rugby journey has taken him to all corners of the globe and put him up against a range of the sport’s finest athletes. A few, in particular, stand out for their electric pace.

The 26-year-old has just one season of Super Rugby Pacific experience under his belt, but has spent three years on the HSBC SVNS circuit, and has now played three Tests with the All Blacks.

He’s also noted as the fastest player in New Zealand by All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson, who has observed the GPS stats of all Super Rugby players.

When Carter was asked about the fastest players he’s faced on the circuit, four names came to mind.

“Corey Toole for Australia, he’s rapid. Marcos Moneta, who’s still in the Argie (SVNS) team, he’s fast. Caleb Tangitau, who I used to play with, he’s rapid. Moses Leo was the fastest in our team; he’s rapid-rapid,” Carter replied on The Aftermatch with Kirst & Beav.

Carter wouldn’t crown himself New Zealand’s fastest 15s player, but said his time in the All Blacks Sevens team had helped him become the athlete he is today, not only physically, but mentally.

“The three years in the sevens definitely helped me,” he said. “The Olympics were pretty huge; crowds were massive, a lot of pressure. You spend three years getting up to the Olympics. I guess you find little tools along the way, you learn from your mistakes, from those big occasions. But then it goes back to just trying to nail my week, and if I do that, then you’ve just got to let go when you’re on the field and whatever happens, happens.”

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins

1

Draws

0

Wins

4

Average Points scored

21

28

First try wins

60%

Home team wins

20%

Having made the call to try his hand back in the 15-man game for the 2025 season, Carter has maintained a nothing-to-lose attitude towards each of his opportunities at every level of the game. It was that attitude that laid the platform for an impressive All Blacks debut in round four of the Rugby Championship.

“It was the same mindset for me as my debut in Super: this could be my only shot, so give it everything and see what happens. I’d rather fail pretty badly than just be passive.

“So, I just went out there and tried to run, get my hands on the ball as much as I can, tackle hard, and whatever happens, happens.”

That debut saw him square off with the world champion Springboks, and in particular, superstar winger Cheslin Kolbe, something Carter described as a “crazy” experience.

“The whole week was pretty special. Got to the national anthem and then straight after that, I was thinking, ‘Don’t mess up the haka’. And then after the haka, you’re like ‘Oh, now I gotta play 80’. Not only play 80, but against the Springboks, marking Cheslin, arguably the best winger in the world right now.

“It was definitely being thrown in the deep end to see if I could swim, but it was pretty cool.”

The debut came at a time of change on the All Blacks’ wings, with Rieko Ioane and Sevu Reece falling out of favour, Emoni Narawa and Caleb Clarke injured, and Leicester Fainga’anuku only recently back in camp after two seasons in France. It didn’t take long for Carter to make a starting wing berth his own.

Carter also didn’t have to look far to see the difference between the All Blacks Sevens and the All Blacks environments: “Bigger bodies.”

“There are some big boys running around in the ABs. But the whole operation is pretty crazy; big trucks roll up to training, all the kit, tackle bags, cameras and stuff. The management all have their own little job, it’s crazy.

“It’s a lot more intense. You don’t want to be in an All Blacks changing room when you lose a Test match. It’s a pretty dark place.”

Adding to the intensity are team meetings, where players are put on the spot, making hard training sessions almost feel like a reprieve in Carter’s mind.

“The meetings are almost more nerve-wracking than the trainings. You get called out, stand up, and answer. At my first meeting in Argie, I got told to stand up to answer a question, and I just started sweating. I sat back down and thought, ‘get me on the training field’.

“But there are also times to switch off, we go out for dinners, catch up, which is important for those high-performance environments.”