Dan Carter, the former All Blacks flyhalf who retired after winning the 2015 World Cup, met his fans on 2 March, and signed his autobiography which has just been released in France, his new home. New Zealand cemented their status as the greatest team in rugby history when they overwhelmed Australia 34-17 at Twickenham last October to become world champions for a record third time, and the first nation to retain the Webb Ellis Cup.

Carter played a major part in that victory and the All Blacks described him as their "incomparable playmaker, vice captain and top points scorer". He set an international point-scoring record during the 2011 Rugby World Cup 2011 and became the most capped All Blacks first five-eighth in his first Test outing of 2012. Dozens of rugby fans queued up for a chance to meet the rugby star and see him sign his autobiography. Carter said it was great to put his thoughts and experiences down on paper.

"I mean writing the book was an amazing process," he said. "I started 12 months before the World Cup and then I had a lot of injuries and I wasn't even sure I was going to be selected for the World Cup and I finished my last sort of interview with the author Duncan four hours after the final, the Rugby World Cup final, so it was a dream way to finish my career and dream way to finish the book as well. So it was a great journey and obviously on to a new challenge here in France which I'm enjoying as well."

Carter now plays for Racing 92 club outside Paris, and is living in France with his family. The book, which was published in mid-November in New Zealand, has just come out in its French edition. Asked on how he would feel seeing his former team mates play in the coming weeks he replied that it would be strange not to be able to play with them, but it had been the right decision to retire when he did, after New Zealand's World Cup victory.

"Yeah, it will be a bit unusual actually, you know, sort of, it still feels like it was the right decision to retire from international rugby but once the All Blacks test matches start up again in June it's going to be pretty difficult to sit back and watch, knowing that I'm unable to play for them any more. But you know I'm going to be their number one supporter moving forward so I'm excited for the international season."

Related