The Rugby World Cup could have played out very differently this year if Dan Carter hadn’t been involved.
In a shocking admission, the All Black legend has revealed that could have been a reality – he was planning to hang up his boots 15 months ago.
Carter has opened up about his difficult decision in a column for Players’ Tribune, a site set up by American sporting superstars Derek Jeter and Kobe Bryant.
In the piece, titled ‘The Return to the Top’, he says he felt increasingly defeated by his injuries: “I felt this intense anger and frustration with my body.”
“It was clear that I was at a place where I had neither the health or the form to be part of it.
“For the first time in my life I began to question my love for the sport. I questioned whether my body could handle it anymore.
“The critics who had been going on about my age started making more sense to me. All those big plays I’d made during my career seemed like memories now. And I wondered what kind of legacy I’d leave behind.”
The World Rugby player of the year said if it wasn’t for his gorgeous wife Honor, his career could have ended months ago.
“I was fortunate to have a wife who played hockey for New Zealand, and had a deep understanding of my personal feelings as well the psychology of sports.
“I would tell her that I wanted to retire, that I didn’t think I had the talent anymore. She was my rock…and despite my arguments, kept encouraging me. If it wasn’t for her and my love for the All Black jersey, I’d probably have long since hung up my cleats.”
Carter was an integral part of the victorious All Blacks’ World Cup team, kicking 19 points in the final against Australia this year.
Read Carter’s full article here.
