LEGENDARY OUT-HALF Dan Carter will play for his home club, Southbridge, this weekend with the Blues on a bye from Super Rugby Aotearoa.
38-year-old Carter hasn’t featured for the Blues in the opening three rounds after linking up with Leon McDonald’s squad at a late stage as an injury replacement.
However, the two-time World Cup winner will look to build his match fitness with an appearance for Southbridge in their clash with West Melton in the Ellesmere Senior Competition in Canterbury on Saturday.
Southbridge have confirmed Carter’s availability and said it was “going to be a huge day for the club.”
Carter came through the youths ranks in Southbridge before going on to enjoy a glittering career at the highest level. The out-half last featured for his home club in 2014 when he was working his way back to full fitness after suffering an injury while playing for the Crusaders.
Carter’s appearance this weekend is certain to draw a big crowd to Southbridge, a rural town around 40 minutes drive from Christchurch with a population of about 900 people.
Carter’s availability for Southbridge follows All Blacks back row Ardie Savea playing for the Oriental Rongotai club in Wellington last weekend when the Hurricanes were on their bye from Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Savea scored a try in a 49-10 win for ‘Ories’ over Paremata-Plimmerton as he continued to build towards full fitness following his return from the knee injury he suffered at last year’s World Cup.
In Ireland, Paul O’Connell famously played for Young Munster in 2013 as he made his return from injury.
More recently, Munster prop James Cronin lined out for Highfield last October, scoring a hat-trick against Naas on his first appearance for the club in eight years.
