Rugby: Dan Carter's big payday - $1460 per minute

Dan Carter playing for his new Racing 92 club. Photo / Getty

Dan Carter's lucrative French rugby deal has already begun to pay its dividends.

The Irish Examiner has reported that Carter earned $1460 a minute in his debut game for French side Racing 92 against Northampton.

Carter's deal is reported to be worth $2.76 million per season, which over a 30-match campaign amounts to $92,000 per game.

Divided down into eighty minute portions, and that makes Carter worth roughly $1150 per minute, and when he is subbed off early, it makes his per-minute pay even more staggering.

Carter was subbed after 63 minutes in his side's 33-3 win against Northampton, making his estimated earnings a massive $1460 a minute.

The Examiner called Carter's debut performance "the most rewarding for any player in the history of the sport".

His well-deserved deal after the All Blacks' Rugby World Cup triumph had teammate and halfback partner Mike Phillips speculating that the his heavily bandaged right leg was strapped up to help protect all the cash.

If Carter manages to steer Racing 92 to glory, his big per-minute payday will surely seem like money well spent.