Auckland Blues eye up Dan Carter
June 14 2009
New Zealand star Dan Carter is allegedly poised to part company with the Crusaders and sign with the Blues.
The fly-half has long been linked with a move north and the New Zealand Herald reports that the Aucklanders are now ready to offer the 27-year-old a deal worth an estimated NZ$400,000 (£157,000) per year.
Carter has returned home after his ill-fated "sabbatical" with Perpignan but said no official talks had taken place with either the Blues or the Crusaders.
"I am off contract for Canterbury but I have not thought very much about it while in France," he said.
"I haven't talked to my management team about it yet.
"When it comes to rugby, Canterbury and the Crusaders have given me so much.
"[A move] won't be easy. I'm where I am now because of the opportunities they've given me.
"Christchurch is still my home and it is a place closest to my heart."
Auckland, desperate to rebuild the Blues after five years without silverware, have decided to buy success and believe Carter can mend the damaged franchise. Highlanders captain Jimmy Cowan is also in their sights.
The alleged offer is almost four times as much as most top All Blacks earn on their provincial contracts. It is reckoned that Auckland Rugby will stump up NZ$250,000 per year with NZ$150,000 coming from a third-party arrangement.
Besides the obvious financial benefits, Carter's girlfriend, Honor Dillon, lives in Auckland. In addition, Carter has a home in Auckland and business interests in the area and is apparently keen on the "challenge" of the Blues.
The pivot is currently on the mend after suffering a ruptured achilles tendon whilst on duty for Perpignan. He has set himself the goal of playing Air New Zealand Cup rugby in August.
He said: "I pretty much said that [the Tri-Nations] was too early to play and that there was no way I could go straight into international rugby so I am looking at the Air New Zealand Cup as the first stage and I will take it from there."