Dan Carter is the 2024 recipient of the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association (NZRPA) Kirk Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution and service to his fellow players and the game.
Known as a global rugby icon, the former All Black’s achievements and records on the field provide an impressive catalogue, however it is Dan Carter’s continued off field contributions that deserve equal attention.
As an ambassador of the game, the three-time World Rugby Player of the Year and double Rugby World Cup champion’s on-going support for player representation and personal development, wellbeing of athletes past and present, combined with his impressive charity work is a true insight into the immense commitment and generosity Dan Carter brings to everything he does.
During his playing days Dan was part of a generation of New Zealand professional players that supported the establishment and growth of the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association and International Rugby Players (IRP).
Highly active within the game since hanging up the boots, Dan has been instrumental in the development of the Global Rugby Players Foundation. An organisation which focuses on providing solutions and empowering rugby players during their retirement from professional rugby to have a healthy and fulfilling life beyond the game.
From idea generation, developing and pitching the business case through to the launch of the Foundation itself, Dan’s leadership and dedication to this retired player initiative has been immense. With the Foundation successfully launched, Dan was appointed as a trustee by his fellow founding members including Jonny Wilkinson, Thierry Dusautoir, Rachael Burford and Richie McCaw.
Head of Rugby Operations for IRP and fellow former All Black Conrad Smith said, “Dan has been instrumental in moving the Foundation from a concept into reality. We have long talked about the need to provide better support to players as they leave the game, but we needed proper resource and funding and that’s what the Foundation provides. Dan has been a key driver from our early conversations until now, where the Foundation is fully operational and established to support more and more players into the future.
Dan’s enthusiasm for his charity work has seen him raise over $3.5 million NZD to support the most vulnerable children in the Pacific whose lives have been affected by emergencies and disasters through his DC10 Fund which he launched in 2022. The charity is to ensure the most vulnerable children get more opportunities to live a life of freedom and fun.
Continuing the theme of supporting children, the husband and father of four, partnered with UNICEF in 2016 to help raise awareness of the situation for children around the world and was named an official ambassador for UNICEF Aotearoa. In 2009 he also helped set up the iSport Foundation, with his great All Black teammates, Richie McCaw and Ali Williams. The Foundation works to inspire Kiwi kids to get active, stay active and ensure they understand the positive health benefits associated with sport.
Commenting on Dan’s charity work and playing days, former teammate Richie McCaw stated “Dan understands that the position he is in can positively make change. He really wants to make a difference and the energy and time he has put into UNICEF is really making an impact, which is pretty awesome.
“This mirrors how he was as a rugby player. He was dedicated and always followed through, which is why he was so good on the field. When you decide you want to do something, you have to actually go and do it. You must back it up with actions, which is what Dan does so well.”
While Dan retired from international rugby at the end of 2015, after a man-of-the match effort against Australia in his last-ever match for the All Blacks, he continued to play at the very highest level outside of New Zealand. In 2016, he helped guide Racing 92 to the French Top 14 title and in 2019 he was named the Japanese Top League's most valuable player after leading Kobelco Kobe Steelers to their first title since 2004.
In acknowledgement of his outstanding contribution to his craft, Daniel William Carter was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to rugby in 2019.
In 2021 Dan was invited to become the first ever Leader in Practice at the Oxford Foundry, the entrepreneurship institute founded by Apple CEO Tim Cook. Dan’s goal was simple - to inspire the next generation of leaders.
With two books to his name, Dan’s latest book, a passion project titled The Art of Winning: Lessons in Leadership, Purpose and Potential, features ten high performance lessons from his time in rugby and was published in 2023. Due to the increased demands from the business sector to learn from high performance sports, Dan has run workshops sharing his knowledge and highlighting the transferrable skills sports can offer.
His autobiography, Dan Carter: My Story, was published in 2015 and became one of New Zealand’s biggest selling biographies of all time and was also a major bestseller around the world.
NZRPA Chairman David Kirk said, “We all know Dan as one of the greatest rugby players there has been. Far fewer know of the contribution Dan has made off the field. His ongoing commitment and work to provide others with opportunities to find the best in themselves is brilliant.”
ENDS
Dan Carter in numbers:
• 1598 test points — the most by any player in the history of the game — at a staggering average of 14.27
• Three times World Rugby Player of the Year
• Two-time Rugby World Cup winner
• 112 test caps
• Nine Tri-Nations and Rugby Championship titles
• Three Super Rugby titles
• All-time record holder for most Super Rugby points (1708)
Award history:
The NZRPA Kirk Award was established in 2005 and named after NZRPA founding chairman and former All Black captain David Kirk MBE. Kirk led the All Blacks to their first Rugby World Cup title in 1987.
Previous recipients include Conrad Smith, Richie McCaw and Tana Umaga, in recognition of their off-field roles in helping to establish the commercial and employment partnership between the players and the game's administrators, which has underpinned the professional rugby environment and achievements ever since.
2016 recipient - Justin Collins
2017 recipient - DJ Forbes
2018 recipients - Fiao’o Fa’amausili and Keven Mealamu
2019 recipients - Josh Blackie, Hale T Pole and Seilala Mapusua
2020 recipient - Andy Ellis
2021 recipient – Melodie Robinson
2024 recipient – Dan Carter
Award name
The NZRPA Kirk Award was named after the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association Chairman David Kirk.
Former All Black, David Kirk, captained the All Blacks to their first Rugby World Cup title in 1987. A medical doctor, Rhodes Scholar and former advisor to the Prime Minister, David was awarded an MBE in 1988 for services to rugby. The former Fairfax Media CEO and Chairman of TradeMe, Kathmandu and Forsyth Barr sits on several boards, is a trustee of several charities and is the co-founder and partner of Bailador Investment Management. The author of two books, David was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2011. Unknown to many, David has served as the Chairman of the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association since its establishment in 1999, and this award is named in recognition of his outstanding, selfless contribution and leadership in this regard.
