All Blacks great Dan Carter 'not well' at Racing 92

All Blacks great Dan Carter is not looking well as he enters his last six months at French club Racing 92, a French journalist says.

The rugby star this month signed a two-year deal with the Kobe Steelers in Japan, starting in June when the current French season ends.

But Carter has appeared out-of-sorts in recent times, French journalist Catherine Field told NewstalkZB on Tuesday, with him cutting a sorry figure during his last appearance for the Paris club, in October. 

"He's not well, even if you talk to the man who owns the club. Dan Carter is 35 years old, has played rugby most of his life, his body is telling him it is time to take it easy," Field said.

"He comes out on to the pitch to congratulate players. People shout and scream, the girls love him, but one gets the feeling that the team has moved on," Field said.

Carter joined the glamour French club on a lucrative three-year contract after winning the World Cup with the All Blacks in 2015. He helped them to a European Champions Cup triumph last year when they beat French rivals Toulon 29-21 in the Top 14 final at Barcelona's Nou Camp.

CARTER FINED

Field told NewstalkZB on Tuesday that she had acquired court documents that revealed he was fined €1000 (NZ$1680) for his drink driving charge earlier this year.

Carter in February was found to be almost twice the legal limit when police pulled him over for speeding in the centre of Paris. He was initially given a five-month driving ban before the case was handed to over to court by the state prosecutor.

Documents Carter's lawyer tried to keep from going public have revealed that he received a "lower end" fine four times less than what is generally expected.

"This is first time we've got our hands on this document. We applied for them in November. The clerk of the court said we couldn't have them even under the freedom of information act because Mr Carter's lawyers asked for the hearing to be private," Field told NewstalkZB.

"No public were allowed into the court room. I appealed that decision and today we received details of it.

"It seems Dan Carter got a €1000 fine, which to be honest is at the lower end of what the judge could have given. You generally expect a €4000 to €4500 fine.

"It's interesting that none of this has come out into the public domain. I had to apply twice even under the official freedom of information act to get this one document."

 

Photo by: STU FORSTER/GETTY IMAGES. Caption: Dan Carter was caught drink driving in Paris in February.