Dan Carter – “Team Sports Like Rugby Are Just A Great Life Lesson, And Help You Deal With Those Disappointments And Setbacks”

Dan Carter is a name that will forever be thrown in the mix when it comes to the greatest to have played the game of rugby. His list of personal and team accolades is unbelievable, winning national club titles in three countries including Japan, but it’s his two Rugby World Cups and his Lions Series performances that will probably be a highlight in his career.

We discussed with the former All Black what are the most important values and life lessons he talks about now, and how bright he sees the future of rugby in the Asian region.

Photo Credit – HSBC Sport – Dan Carter in Singapore during the SVNS 2025 week

Dan Carter – The Ultimate Sport Ambassador

We asked Dan Carter how he was enjoying the ambassadorial work that he had been doing since he retired in 2021 as an All Black test centurion, as it was his first time in Singapore as an HSBC Ambassador. 

“I really enjoy it to be honest. HSBC are a great supporter of rugby, and in particular of the Rugby Seven Series and the events they do around each of the tournaments are pretty unique and special. So having been to various events like Dubai, and Hong Kong, this is my first time doing some work here in Singapore, and it really does just open up a world of opportunities that they really want to focus on, and bring rugby to different markets. 

A lot of my time here in Singapore has been spent on coaching clinics, and something that HSBC really do focus on with each market they go to is working with the communities and their children and aspiring them to, in some cases, introduce them to this beautiful sport of rugby, and in other cases, strengthen what is already an established market for rugby.”

We’ve spoken to his ‘red polo gang’ colleagues (HSBC Ambassadors) over the years – recently in Hong Kong with Alicia Lucas and Abby Gustaitis we discussed the engagements and impact the programmes and Sevens events were having, especially when it comes to these emerging markets. We asked him what are the types of questions he gets asked at the clinics and the corporate events he participated in?

“A lot of people are really intrigued about how my journey started. My journey started by having heroes. People I used to look up to as rugby players, and getting to meet them. It makes you want to dream big and that’s where those aspirations of wanting to be a rugby player started for me – by having role models, and people I looked up to inspired me to dream,” said Carter.

“That interaction makes you think the dream could turn into reality, and for me, it has. I love seeing that when working with children and communities and sharing those stories, is them being encouraged to dream big as well, whether that’s pursuing a rugby career, or just following their dreams whatever that is – that is something that I hold pretty close.”

Asian Talent in Rugby & Rugby’s Values

Carter had been impressed by what he had seen in Singapore and described a funny story that happened the week in Singapore.

“They might not always have the resources, and I guess for me coaching in some of the more developed rugby nations compared to parts of Asia, but there’s some real talent around. It’s about nurturing that and encouraging them to continue to pursue their dreams. 

This week, I lost a kicking competition to a 17-year-old boy in Singapore. He wanted to take me on and I couldn’t back down from a challenge of four drop goals, I eventually missed one, and he got it much to the delight of his teammates. So there’s a lot of talent and also it’s just a great avenue as well, to work with potentially underprivileged children that might not have the strongest of upbringings, and introducing them to a sport like rugby is a bit of distraction as well.”

Photo Credit – HSBC Sport – Dan Carter lost a kicking competition to a Singaporean teen at the Singapore SVNS 2025

Last year at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and the year before in France at the Rugby World Cup 2023, Dan Carter had also been invited to be involved. 

“Being invited to Paris and the Olympics was special and being able to go around as part of the Ambassador role, and on occasions, speaking to people about the beautiful sport of rugby, and then also teaching around the values of rugby as well; the respect, the teamwork, the camaraderie, the work ethic, all things that are important to rugby, but also life outside of sport as well. And that’s what I love about rugby, are the values that the game brings.”

And those values still are core and apply no matter what you do and we both agreed are a big attraction of rugby. My experience with the HSBC Ambassadors is they talk the talk and walk the walk. 

Carter said of his own experience, “I didn’t really realise it as much when I was playing. I was so fixated on playing. It wasn’t until I finished and there was a bit of like ‘What do I do now? I’m not a rugby player anymore.’ So there was a little bit of loss of identity. 

I realised that the learnings that I got from playing professional rugby for so long are so relatable to life outside of rugby and this next chapter in my life, whether that’s at a corporate business level or not, but the ability to perform under pressure, the importance of growing a really strong team culture are key to everyday life. Showing humility, work ethic, dealing with setbacks and disappointments, and building up strong resilience.

So that’s what I love sharing and it just caters for all different markets, from your corporate level engagement right down to your grassroots level.”

Rugby Builds Resilience And Offers Life Lessons – Dan Carter

We asked Carter if he had an example to share especially in terms of resilience. If there is one consistent theme we hear feedback from parents on when trying to get their kids into rugby, is that there’s a bit of natural hesitancy due to the physical side of the game, but otherwise it’s about overcoming obstacles, being resilient and staying true to your goals. 

Dan Carter paused and explained, “We were having a great conversation over dinner last night with some friends about the lessons that these children learn at such a young age through rugby and sport, and having to deal with disappointment and losses. Those emotions are just so raw when they lose and they cry for five minutes. So they’re actually learning about how to deal with disappointment and setbacks. 

Life isn’t perfect, you’re gonna have good days, and you’re gonna have bad days. And that ability to learn how to deal with those situations at a young age really helps you deal with those setbacks later in life.”

Dan Carter speaking to Rugby Asia 247 Editor Steve Noble at the National Stadium at the Singapore SVNS 2025

What we loved about his feedback is that they were really sincere and poignant. He went on to say, “A lot of people look at my career and see all the success of the World Cups, the World Player of the Year Awards, the victories, but the person that I am today is not because of the success that I had but it’s actually how I dealt with the difficult times, the setbacks, the World Cup losses, the serious injuries during the middle of a World Cup, and the tools that I learned going through those moments of actually understanding that you need to share your emotions and how to express them. 

If you need to cry, cry. If you need to be angry, be angry. Just express them. Don’t try and suppress those emotions, like let them out, and then comes a time when you can use this hurt as motivation. Let’s fight back from this. Let’s reset goals. It’s the structure that helps us walk towards these goals. Sport can be pretty cruel at times, but the lessons that you get from those moments make you a much stronger person in general. So there are great lessons to be learned.”

With those honest and earnest truthful examples, we could not agree more. We told Dan Carter that we both were raised in countries (New Zealand and South Africa) where it’s not advised for men to show their emotions and let that out. And from a media point of view, we are in a privileged situation, because we see these players come off the field, and once they’re out of the public eye, they burst out in tears because of a loss or expressing whatever has happened. 

The public doesn’t see many of those moments and rugby is such a high-intensity sport. But that message applies to everyone, you can let those emotions out, and you need a support structure to be successful, no matter what your aims are.

Photo Credit – HSBC Sport – Dan Carter in Singapore during the SVNS 2025 week

Carter listened to some of the examples I gave and agreed and added, “You probably grew up in a similar generation to me, where you just kind of roll your sleeves up and just get on with it. And that can often be sort of counter-beneficial later in life when you haven’t dealt with those emotions.

So we’re learning a lot around that and the importance of actually having a support network around you, someone to be able to talk to about how you’re feeling or discussing those difficult times, and sharing those experiences just takes the weight off straight away, instead of internalising everything. Team sports like rugby are just a great life lesson, and help deal with those disappointments and setbacks.”

The Impact of Hosting International Sevens Rugby in Asia

We changed gears and asked Dan Carter about the impact of having these Sevens Rugby tournaments, which HSBC has a huge part to play in, and the different crowds they attract as well as having local teams involved which leads to an uptick in media engagement.

We asked him if player engagement with the fans had changed since he stopped playing, and the current crop of players on the HSBC SVNS Series are so good at giving back to the fans, and being aspirational heroes to future stars.

“Sevens is a great platform, absolutely in non-rugby traditional markets like the ones you talked about, Hong Kong, Dubai, here in Singapore, and other parts of Asia – Having that access to rugby at this level of quality where you’re watching the best Rugby Sevens players in the world playing in your backyard is fantastic.

Photo Credit – HSBC Sport – Dan Carter signing autographs in Singapore during the SVNS 2025 week

I remember the first time I got to play as a six or seven-year-old at Lancaster Park in Christchurch, and it was like I thought that I was playing for the All Blacks. Having done some coaching clinics here in Singapore, some of the children that I’ve been coaching were playing this morning on this field, and they were so nervous.

It was like it was their first test match and they were so pumped up for those games. Something will be ingrained in those children, and maybe they think “I want to be like these heroes that I’m going to go and watch, and I’ve got a little taste for it now.”

To bring this world of opportunities to these children who historically don’t get access to rugby,  it’s just really growing the game. Who knows how that will look in 10-20 years? You might be getting some international superstars that grew up and came from these events in Dubai, or Singapore. Maybe I’ll be asking for a photo or an autograph from that kid who beat me in a kicking competition!”

Stay tuned to All Things Rugby as our editor, Steve Noble, has published a separate article about Dan Carter’s views on rugby’s growth in Japan, his experiences of playing there, and his hope that their women’s game also lifts off to new heights.

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