DSPN - Devlin Sports Podcast Network
Dan Carter: All Blacks’ Depth, First-Five Battle And Super Round
26 Apr 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is the significance of the Super Rugby Super Round in Christchurch?
welcome to the dspn john roger wins the 1500 meters gold medal at the olympic day the devlin sports podcast network super rugby super round christchurch i guess that part of the whole experience is you've got to come here and stand here uh this is the home of the Crusaders. Very difficult for somebody who comes from Hurricanes country. We'll be walking on this hallowed turf.
This is the training facility. Brand spanking new and you'll see that it's all been flashed up here. That original stand, we're going to talk more about this with DC10 Daniel Carter shortly, that original stand was actually there when the earthquake hit. And the portion on the left here, tough as old boots, just like the city, just like the team, survived. We're here.
I will explain shortly with Daniel to spend a few minutes with him, which is always such a treat. DSPN in Christchurch, it is of course Super Rugby Round. What a pleasure and a privilege it always is to catch up with Daniel. Dan Carter is here with UNICEF and doing something that is just what I love about it. It's just so practical and cool, man.
Providing fresh drinking water for kids across the Pacific.
Chapter 2: How does Dan Carter contribute to UNICEF's clean water initiatives?
Now it's just one of those things that, as we were saying before, that it's a human right, it's a basic human right to get fresh drinking water. And I kind of really like the fact that you're involved in this, and I just wish you all the success with it, mate.
Thank you. That's really kind. And to be honest, it is something as simple as providing clean and safe water for children in the Pacific. So I've been an ambassador for UNICEF for a while. I always wanted to do more, having gone to refugee camps and explored the incredible work that they do. And then when I finished playing, I was like, right, I'm going to set up a DCT and fund.
I'm going to partner with UNICEF. But what are we actually going to do? Like, I want to handpick what UNICEF projects. And I looked at education. I looked at... sort of things, damage that was happening through war.
And then I kind of looked at the Pacific Islands and having so many Pacific Island brothers and my teams that I played for, I suddenly realised that one of the leading causes for death in children in the Pacific was the lack of clean and safe drinking water.
Chapter 3: What challenges does Dan Carter identify in New Zealand's No.10 rugby depth?
The fact that we can help deliver something so simple that we take for granted here in New Zealand and just to see the impact that we're having almost immediately was good.
It's one of those things, I reckon, that you'll see the change real quick. You turn on a tap, fresh water comes out, kids start giggling and having fun and playing, right? Absolutely.
And we've been to... I've been to Vanuatu, Kiribati, Fiji, and seen schools and medical centres that, you know, that we're helping deliver clean and safe water and just the impact that it's having, the smiles on the kids. And we've been to a few schools and what they do, remember the old prefix at schools? Yeah, it was never one of their favourites. No, to be honest, I wasn't one either.
So I was envious of these students and they were called the WASH. So WASH stands for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. and they have these wash clubs. And if you're a wash club member, one of the senior members of the school, then you're the first one to school and you're teaching these young kids how to wash their hands properly.
They would come and everyone would have a toothbrush and they're brushing their teeth and they get some clean drinking water to start the day with. And these young kids used to look up to these senior students going, man, all I want to do is be a
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Chapter 4: When is the right time to blood a new player in rugby?
a wash club member one day so it's going to be a generational change over there when you've got young kids leading the importance of safe water for other students and you know that it's ingrained in their culture.
It goes off at half time in both the games today people and so there's a big kicking challenge and everything it's just to raise awareness of it so awesome Matt as I said I just hope it goes really well and I love the practicality
It's super rugby round and we've got so many questions I want to ask you and there's questions I don't want to ask you because I don't want to put you on the spot and all of a sudden have what you say made into something it's not. But just let's look at the first fives we've got in New Zealand.
We saw Bowden yesterday, we saw Ruben yesterday, we got Damien out there today, we'll probably see Josh Jacob. How do you feel about the depth we've got, Richie Mawanga being potentially available again? Just how do you feel as the greatest player that played in that position for us?
I think we're really lucky, we've got some great depth. I guess the challenge is who's going to put their hand up and really take that role over the next couple of years and that's something that probably hasn't happened. It's kind of been shared a little bit between once Richie departed, he took a bit of ownership at the back end of his time in New Zealand and then it's been between Damien and
and Bodie and now we've got a bit of young talent coming through it's exciting so we have depth there which is good it's just you know which one of those you know three four players that you mentioned is going to really put their hand up and go this is my position and obviously you know you've got Richie coming back as well on the mix so that strengthens the depth so it's a real positive but
I don't think we can answer that question of who's going to be playing at the World Cup just yet because there's still a lot of test matches and a lot of footy to be played before then. But I think it's an amazing opportunity for one of them to go, right, that number 10 jersey's mine.
Dan, when's it the right time to blood someone new? And that's the impossible question to answer, isn't it?
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Chapter 5: What potential does Dan Carter see in the All Blacks' future?
Because you got given your opportunity and you seized it. And it's just, at some stage... You have to do that with the person, don't you? Is there a right time?
I was lucky. I had a season and a half playing in the 12 jersey and been in the environment playing alongside the great Carlos Spencer and Andrew Murden. So I was just sitting there learning from two absolute masters of the 10 jersey, two very different players. So
um the end of year tour my second year we went over to uh to europe and and they left those two players behind and they threw me in into the mix a very uh you know young squad and i just had to learn um as we went and it was probably one of the biggest things for me was actually just being thrown in the deep end and either you sink or you swim uh to be honest and you know i'm not saying that that's what they need to do but um
When they show the capabilities of what they're capable of doing and they've been in the environment, whether in and out or certain times, there's a time that you've got to just really show belief and faith in that person and just continue to back them and hopefully you make the right decision.
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Chapter 6: How has the earthquake impacted Christchurch and its rugby culture?
General Finance Limited. Stability you can rely on. TC's fee supply. Past performance is not an indicator of future performance. Product disclosure statement available at generalfinance.co.nz. We've got the biggest, toughest, nastiest schedule this year. Brand new All Blacks coaching team come in and I don't know when we hear and read about what happened last year.
I just am going to file it under. If the squad was dysfunctional last year and we played as well as we played on occasions, I just look really optimistically as what if this squad is fully united with a coaching group that they really love as well. No disrespect to the last coaching group, but if that can happen again for the All Blacks, what kind of potential do we have?
We've got a lot of potential and we're going to be challenged and tested more this year than potentially in the past with the schedule that's ahead of them and that's exciting, that's what you want. As an international rugby player, as an All Black, you want the toughest and hardest challenges.
You don't want an easy road and we definitely don't have that this year with the Nations Cup and the test matches that we have and obviously rugby's greatest rivalry as well which is going to be epic. So obviously throwing in the deep end again and we've got the talent. You believe we have?
Chapter 7: What are the changes in the rugby facilities since the earthquake?
Yes. Are we still ranked second in the world? I'm not sure.
I know, I know. It's not too bad. We'll get grouchy when we're not first.
I know and I love that. I love the fact that if we're not number one then we're asking questions and challenging because we never... want to accept that we shouldn't be number one, so it's a really exciting time.
New coaching groups, some new ideas, really try and connect as a group and play at a level that we know we're capable of, and we've shown in the last couple of years, but just trying to have that consistency to be able to sort of back it up week in, week out.
A couple more will let you go, and this is a really special place. If we can just pan around a little. It's changed since Dan and Richie stopped playing, but When the earthquake hit in 2011, just tell us that story again. So this rickety old stand here, it's actually part of it's been rebuilt, you can see, but this thing survived.
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Chapter 8: Why is the new stadium important for Christchurch's community spirit?
It was one of the few things that actually survived. None of this, what we're seeing around the back here, none of the new bits and pieces, if you have a look at that pan around the back, none of this was actually here. This is all new. When Richie and Dan stopped playing for the Crusaders and all that money was freed up, they decided that they'd... More so Richie's contract, I think.
Once Richie stopped playing, they had to stop paying Richie. All of a sudden they had freed up all this money to build beautiful facilities, new gym, new changing rooms, all the... The backing staff working here, but yes year 2011 the devastating earthquake in February We just finished training and we're under that rickety old grandstand behind us.
So you've been out here I haven't actually been back here many times since You know since I finished playing at the Crusaders, but there's one memory that really sticks out especially in a weekend like this, you know such a a special weekend for the city.
But yes, we were in that changing room sort of behind us in this old rickety grandstand and we quickly bolted out of that changing room out into the middle of this road.
We came out here, knickers on or towel on and just waited for the shaking to stop.
Exactly, yeah.
And, you know, we come down here, and I was here last week, and I'm going to bore people with this story, but we come down, and I've been extolling the virtues of what they've done here. Man, they've just changed the city. It's really smart, isn't it?
And the timing of the stadium, too, Daniel, feels like maybe that the city just really welcomes and needs something joyous and happy to really celebrate at the end of 15 long years, torturous years, man. But it's kind of like, it just feels like something you can be really proud of. And everyone that walks out of there has got a big grin on their face and has enjoyed it. Isn't that what it is?
Yeah, I think it really does. That stadium solidifies that this city is well and truly back. And to be honest, the last 18 months to 24 months, every time I've come back here, I've just felt the energy and the excitement and the smile. And on the people's faces here, they're really positive and just a little bit happier. And that's off the back of some really tough years.
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