Dan Carter

Dan Carter's last game as an All Black culminated with him declared Man of the Match following the 2015 Rugby World Cup final - an unforgettable ending to the career of the greatest fly-half of all time. But along with the triumphs of his signature World Cup win, his performance against the Lions in 2005, and an unprecedented run of Bledisloe Cup and Grand Slam successes, there was also the pain and doubt he felt during a prolonged period of injury and rehab following the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

He watched that victory from the sidelines, as he had the All Blacks' defeats in two previous tournaments. Indeed, heading into the 2015 Cup he had never finished the competition on his own terms. Dan Carter - My Story tells of that redemption, and gets you up close and personal with one of the most celebrated sportsmen of our time. Threaded throughout the book is an intimate diary of his final year as a Crusader and All Black, during which he worked tirelessly to make one last run at that elusive goal: a World Cup victory, achieved on the field.

The book is notable for the candour of its subject, the intimacy of its access to one of the most famously private New Zealanders, and the breadth of its coverage of family, business and mateship. It is essential reading for all fans of the All Blacks and rugby union.

On a muddy section, alongside my parents' house in Southbridge, where rugby was just the most fun a kid could have ... Those days are so vivid to me, even now, and remain the foundation of my game. I wasn't aspiring to be an All Black back then; it was pure youthful enjoyment and fun. That's where I built up the base of skills that has helped me through 13 years of professional rugby.

About the Author

Duncan Greive is a journalist and editor. After initially concentrating on music journalism, he began writing sports features for magazines in 2005, winning Canon Awards for his profiles of unconventional basketball player Dillon Boucher and teenage golf phenomenon Lydia Ko. He now runs the sports and culture website The Spinoff, and lives in Auckland with his wife, Nicola, and three children, Jett, Robyn and Vivienne.