Dan Carter Presented International Rugby Players Association Special Merit Award

rugbyasia247 Posted On September 27, 2025

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Dan Carter Presented International Rugby Players Association Special Merit Award

All Black legend and World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee Dan Carter was presented with the International Rugby Players Association Special Merit Award at the World Rugby Awards presentation held in London on Friday, 26th September.

He was presented in association with the International Rugby Players Association, as part of proceedings at the Global Women’s Rugby Summit at London’s Science Museum.

The two-time Rugby World Cup champion is considered one of the best players to have played the game and among the greatest fly-halves in history. He had humble beginnings at his hometown club, Southbridge in New Zealand’s South Island and became one of rugby’s true superstars and icons.

He said of being recognised, “It’s a huge privilege to receive the International Rugby Players Association Special Merit Award. It’s not why I do what I do, to receive awards like this, but I guess it’s a combination of the hard work and dedication that I put in on the rugby field, as a professional rugby player, but also since my transition out of the game, my willingness to want to give back to people through philanthropic work, it really is a huge honour.”

Recent winners of the International Rugby Players Association Special Merit Award include Vickii Cornborough (England), John Smit and Bryan Habana (South Africa), Jamie Heaslip (Ireland), Stephen Moore (Australia) and DJ Forbes (New Zealand).

Dan Carter’s Career

Dan Carter's Career

He said, “My personal career highlight has been that dream that I had as a five-year-old boy turned into a reality, when I got a chance to represent my country and play for the All Blacks for the first time in 2003. It was such a special moment receiving my very first All Black jersey and representing my country. I never thought that day would ever happen, but for it to actually happen and continue to have the career that I did, it was the start of something very special.”

Carter’s 1,598 test points for New Zealand still stand as the all-time record
He was named World Rugby player of the year three times
He won 112 test caps for New Zealand
Won two Rugby World Cup
Won nine Rugby Championship titles
Beat the British and Irish Lions in 2005
Three Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders and holds the competition’s points record with 1,708
Appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit and in that same year
Won France’s Top 14 title with Racing and Perpignan
In 2019, he was the Japanese Top League’s most valuable player after leading Kobelco Steelers to their first title since 2004

Post-Playing Career – Dan Carter

Since retiring in 2021, Carter has worked closely with the International Rugby Players Association to develop the Global Rugby Players Foundation. They help empower players as they retire and help them build their lives beyond the game.

“I feel so grateful that rugby has given me so much, so I want to use sport and rugby to be able to give back to people. Whether that’s (helping) under-privileged children with the work I do for DC10 fund in partnership with UNICEF or my iSport Foundation, or giving back to professional rugby players and helping provide a support network for them as they transition out of the game we all love through the Global Rugby Players Foundation. It’s more of a drive and motivation to want to give back because rugby has given me so much,” said Carter.

He added, “The foundation (Global Players Rugby Foundation) is hugely driven to help professional rugby players – men’s, women’s, fifteens, sevens – to go on and be the best versions of themselves beyond the game and not just think that their best days are behind them when they do finish… I’m really proud of setting it up alongside some incredible other founders and a great team. Having the support of World Rugby and the International Rugby Players Association is really important as well. It really means a lot to me.”

He has, via his DC10 Fund, raised over NZD $2million in support of the most vulnerable children across the Pacific region.

Dan Carter – Growth of the Women’s Game and WRWC 2025

“I know how much work has gone in for these players, how much dedication, the sacrifices they’ve made, the work ethic that they’ve put in to get to those moments. To be able to go out there and express themselves and do what they love in front of incredible crowds, it’s been a real highlight for me.

To see the interaction these women have with the fans, and how the fans have shown their appreciation by coming out in huge numbers all through the World Cup – what a finale it’s going to be on Saturday, an incredible final between England and Canada. The sport is on a real high, and there’s a lot that the men’s game can learn from the women’s game,” explained Dan Carter.