Rugby: Dan Carter reaches halfway line of epic charity kickathon

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In a deserted Eden Park with only a couple of cameramen and a handful of ballboys for company, Dan Carter was worried the night would break him.

The legendary All Blacks first five, attempting to slot 1598 goals in the span of 24 hours, had kicked off his attempt at 7pm with support from friends, former teammates and fellow rugby greats, but they were all long gone.

Carter was left almost alone to face the reality of his fundraising attempt for kids in Aotearoa and the Pacific - and it was that altruistic angle that kept him going.

At 4.10am, after a couple of hours when there were more rugby balls than people on the Eden Park pitch, the cavalry started to arrive once again.

League great Daryl Halligan was the first, lacing up his boots and getting a hug from Carter. Then it was America's Cup winner Blair Tuke, excited for a chance to kick on the hallowed turf.

Buoyed by the support, Carter reached 800 goals - the halfway mark - at 4.45am. A couple of minutes later, heading down the tunnel for a well-deserved break, he recounted the difficulties of the night.

"I'm usually in bed by 9'o'clock - with young kids that wake up at 5 or 6'o'clock in the morning you gotta go to bed early," Carter said. "I thought through the night it might have been a lot harder - I thought it might have broken me. But having friends come at different times has really helped me through it."

The atmosphere at Eden Park at 4am was one Carter described as "a dark place". Photo / Sky Sport

The other thing that helped Carter was remembering the reason he laced up his golden boots to begin with.

"I'm lucky because I've got a bit of adrenaline - I'm doing this for something much bigger than me," Carter said. "So when it does get tough and there's that little guy inside your head, saying, 'Just go to sleep or give up', I'm able to think about the impact I'm having on kids over in the Pacific.

"Also, to see the donations coming through as well. People donating their hard-earned cash, comments in the donations of kids saying, 'I've just donated my weekly pocket money'. It's pretty thoughtful and that's helping me get through."

By 8.30am, Carter had cracked the 1000 mark, his goal - and a good night's sleep - clearly in his sights.