ALL BLACKS OUT-half Dan Carter will make his return to playing after a six-month sabbatical by lining out for Southbridge in the fourth tier of New Zealand club rugby.
The 32-year-old is set to play 40 minutes for his club in the Luisetti Seeds Division One play-off match against Glenmark, their North Canterbury rivals.
Carter’s most recent game was against England in the 2013 November Tests, and with the 2014 Rugby Championship kicking off on the 16th of August, the Kiwi playmaker is keen to get back into action this weekend.
In July of 2013, New Zealand captain Richie McCaw made a similarly low-key comeback from his own sabbatical when he lined out for Christchurch FC. Irishman Diarmuid McMahon, formerly an underage player with Munster, was lucky enough to play with the legendary flanker that day.
Many other amateur players will enjoy a similarly memorable day this Saturday when they tog out alongside or against Carter. Southbridge have called it a “huge occasion for the club,” while our own sympathies will lie with the Glenmark players if Carter is anywhere near match fitness.
Aaron Cruden and Beauden Barrett provide New Zealand coach Steve Hansen with high-quality options in the number 10 shirt in the long-term, but Carter will be backing himself to return from his rest period and reclaim his position ahead of the 2015 World Cup defence.
