Dan Carter has described his failed Racing 92 return as a “blessing in disguise” admitting he is coming to the end of his incredible career.
The deal that would have seen Carter go back to Paris for a three-month stint and earn around €150,000 fell through due to a failed medical.
The medical exposed a “cervical spine problem” which Carter later confirmed to the New Zealand Herald, to be a “disc bulge” in his neck.
The 37-year-old, three-time world player of the year, has been dealing with the problem for a number of seasons now and may require surgery for a full recovery from the injury common among rugby players.
Carter, who spent three years at Racing before, was denied a return and a chance to win the European Champions Cup, the only trophy missing from his cabinet, sees a bright side to the situation.
“I would have loved to have gone back to Racing and to have given Europe another crack, but I wasn’t cleared to play, so it wasn’t to be. I wasn’t cleared to play, so it’s a blessing in disguise because I get to spend more time back here in New Zealand,” he said.
He currently plays for Japanese Top League side Kobe Kobelco Steelers, where he won the league and was named the divisions MVP in his first season. The next season doesn’t start again until later this year and Carter plans to make the most of his time in New Zealand.
“The beauty is that my second year in Japan doesn’t start until after the World Cup. The Top League season there has been pushed back because of the World Cup, so I will have plenty of time to spend with my family,” he said.
His contract brings him to the end of the 2019/20
season and while he is still loving the game, he admitted his time is nearly up
in a playing capacity.
“I don’t have a lot of rugby in me but I’m still loving it and enjoying it, so I guess this long break has helped me to phase into life after rugby,” he said.
By the end of the next season Carter will hope to have added another Top League triumph to his CV, but that could be the last thing we see the two-time World Cup winner claim as his glittering 17-year career looks set to conclude.
He also revealed the extent of his injury via Instagram.
