Pin-up Carter happy to keep feet on the ground

AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France: New Zealand star Dan Carter says he is happy to be surrounded by friends, family and teammates who help keep his feet firmly on the ground despite all the hype surrounding him.

The 25-year-old outside-half is the pin-up of All Black rugby, a player widely regarded as one of the best in world rugby after amassing 653 points in his 42 Tests, where he has been on the losing team on just four occasions.

With the success of bossing the All Blacks backline came lucrative endorsement deals, including one for Jockey underwear which assured him an even wider fan base.

Despite initially being shy of the limelight, Carter undertook a set of revealing adverts for the underwear manufacturers, the New Zealand website for which launches with a spotlit figure of him clad only in figure-hugging underwear doing sit-ups towards the viewer.

Carter, who has also done promotional work with France football legend Zinedine Zidane since he arrived in the country, said playing for New Zealand was the realisation of a childhood ambition.

"I love life at the moment. Playing for the All Blacks has always been a dream of mine," said the third-highest New Zealand point scorer behind Grant Fox and Andrew Mehrtens.

"It has its pros and cons but I wouldn't give it up for anything. I've got a good bunch of guys and family and friends to keep me grounded."

The 2005 International Rugby Player of the Year did admit, however, that he was initially unnerved by all the public attention created as a result of his on-field performances.

"At first I was slightly embarrassed by the whole thing," he said. "But it's just something I've got used to.

"I'm having a great time both on and off the field, playing with my teammates, playing for the All Blacks. It's a joy to me, I enjoy every moment I have in the black jersey, being around my team-mates.

"And being in environments like this it's hard not to have a good time and relax," he said, amid clumps of fragrant lavander in the shade of pine trees at his team's luxury hotel in Aix-en-Provence.

He added his experience of the World Cup this time around had so far differed massively from that of 2003, when the All Blacks were beaten 22-10 by Australia in the semifinal when Carter, then playing more at centre, was an unused replacement.

"For me it's completely different," he said. "I didn't really know what to expect at the last World Cup, I was pretty overwhelmed by the whole situation.

"Whereas this one is something that myself and most of the guys in the team have been training for a few years, so it's a big difference."

AFP

(China Daily 09/19/2007 page23)