Rugby: Carter to announce future today

Photo / NZ Herald

All Black first five-eighth Dan Carter is set to announce his rugby future at a press conference in Christchurch today.

The New Zealand Rugby Union announced the press conference will take place at 12pm where Carter is expected to announce whether he will continue to play rugby in New Zealand after the World Cup.

Last month the Herald on Sunday reported that Carter and All Black captain Richie McCaw have been offered four-year contracts by the NZRU to stay in New Zealand with unprecedented levels of flexibility and payment.

According to the paper both players will be able to take sabbaticals, either playing or non-playing, will be allowed to leave New Zealand at any stage of the contract and will pick up around $850,000 a season.

Carter, 29, went on a six-month sabbatical in 2009 when he played for French club Perpignan but his playing time was cut short by an achilles tendon injury.

At the time he told the Herald about his desire to return to France later in his career.

"It has really opened my eyes on living in a different part of the world. Further down the track, I could see myself back living somewhere in Europe. I can even see myself spending a lot more time here, perhaps finishing my career. I have so enjoyed it," he said.

Last week NZRU CEO Steve Tew told Radio Sport the flexibility offered in the contracts shows how important the two players are to New Zealand rugby.

"Richie and Dan are world class players, probably the best that have worn that jersey for the All Blacks if not very close to it. We think they're very important to the future of the team and they are very important to our player retention strategy.

"We've done really what we can. We've been incredibly flexible. We think we've done the right thing in doing that and certainly that's the feedback we've had from both of them," he said.

There were reports in an English paper last month that Carter was set to join Paris rugby club Racing Metro in a world record $8.25m, three-year deal after the World Cup.

At the time Carter's agent Simon Porter said he had not seen the UK report, but claimed it was "just speculation".

- HERALD ONLINE