Latest news with #DanCarter
NZ Herald
09-08-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Dan Carter's ‘life-changing' visit to remote Kiribati with Unicef
Dan Carter with pupils at Taiti Primary School in Marakei, Kiribati. Photo / Unicef 'One of the challenges with supporting a country like Kiribati is just how remote it is. It's right on the equator, it's almost as wide as America but just filled with a whole lot of islands. 'It was really important for me to get to Kiribati and see the incredible work that Unicef are doing on the ground there, providing clean and safe water and sanitation, hygiene facilities to schools, medical centres, villages.' Despite the seasickness, the warm welcome he received made it all worth it. 'Believe it or not, I got off that boat and danced, and if anyone knows me, I'm not a big dancer or a good dancer,' Carter jokes. 'If the people of Kiribati can get us up dancing, then you know that's just how warm and welcoming they are.' Dan Carter and pupils at Aoneta Junior Secondary School try clean drinking water. Photo / Unicef Carter has been a Unicef ambassador since retiring from rugby in 2021 - though his involvement goes back to a 2016 visit to a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan. He launched his DC10 Fund in partnership with Unicef to improve access to clean water in the Pacific. 'There was a really clear purpose in trying to enable the most vulnerable children to get more opportunities to live a life of freedom and fun,' the father of four says. '[That's] something that I did when I was young, and I look at my children and they just live with such freedom, but I know that's not often the case.' The Pacific Islands aren't just neighbours to Aotearoa - 'they're part of our extended whānau', he says. 'That's exactly the case from my rugby background, we had so many Pacific Islanders in all the teams that I played for, so I wanted to support a project that was really close to me.' Dan Carter has been a Unicef ambassador since 2021. Photo / Michael Craig The impact of a lack of clean water can be devastating in this region, particularly for children. 'They're prone to a lot more disease, so all of a sudden they're at school less, so they're not learning as much in terms of their education,' Carter notes. He spent his time in Kiribati visiting schools where Unicef has installed WASH [water, sanitation, and hygiene] projects, including toilet blocks and handwashing facilities. The WASH projects are now in five schools and 14 medical centres in Kiribati, and are being built in 10 more schools. 'To see it firsthand and the impact that it's having on these children, these communities, these villages, it really is sort of life-changing,' the rugby star says. 'It kind of puts your life into perspective at times, and often I'm walking away from these field trips feeling inspired from the children. 'It really is a special thing to be a part of.' Unicef ambassador Dan Carter and Unicef's Sarah Fraser. Photo / Michael Craig About Unicef Aotearoa Unicef Aotearoa's head of government and Pacific relations Sarah Fraser says the region is one of the most 'logistically challenging' for the agency. 'We both experienced firsthand how hard it is to get to every child,' she says of visiting Kiribati with Carter. 'I think that it really hit home and realised just how hard it is in our Pacific, and how important it is. 'The water and sanitation work that we support, and that Dan supports, goes right through from health, from early childhood to schools - because it's really about community engagement and buy-in. 'We've trained over 7000 teachers now in Kiribati to really teach about handwashing and how it's important and how it stops disease.' Building facilities like toilet blocks helps protect children's right to privacy, as well as health and hygiene, she says. 'We are really working on those basic needs that improve healthcare, but I think also it's about dignity and also about giving children a childhood. 'When you're healthy and well, you can attend school, you can learn, and you can really fulfill your potential. So that's a real focus for us.' You can learn more or take part in Unicef's fundraising appeal Become a Pacific Champion here.
Otago Daily Times
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
ABs, France all square in brief history in South
This will be just the third test between the All Blacks and France played in Dunedin. Hayden Meikle glances back at the other two clashes. 2009 France 27, All Blacks 22 The background: First test of the year in Dunedin, France the opposition, lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth about the tourists sending a depleted squad — all sounding a bit familiar? The All Blacks were tracking nicely as they rebuilt from the horrors of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, and were riding a nine-gaming winning streak, having just completed a grand slam in the north. France had been beaten twice in the Six Nations and were forced to come to New Zealand minus several top players on club duty. They were expected to be cannon fodder, even if the All Blacks were missing Dan Carter and Richie McCaw. Mils Muliaina was captain from fullback. The game: Merde! France tore up the script and really dominated this game at ye olde Carisbrook. They scored an early try through first five Francois Trinh-Duc from a Ma'a Nonu spill, and when rampaging No 8 Louis Picamoles set up a try to hooker William Servat, they were up 17-3. The All Blacks got back to level terms but another mistake allowed French fullback Maxime Medard to score a 70m intercept try. Warrior captain Thierry Dusautoir ensured the French held on for a famous win. The ODT said: "The French were too strong at the breakdown, too efficient on attack and defence, and just too solid all round for a misfiring All Blacks outfit. The All Blacks were rusty. Lineouts apart, the All Black forward pack never dominated, and the scrum struggled to match a gallant French effort." The aftermath: It was revealed Highlanders hero Adam Thomson, making a rare start at openside for the All Blacks, played much of the first test with a broken bone in his hand. He was scratched for six weeks. Tanerau Latimer replaced him for the second test, in Wellington. The All Blacks ground out a 14-10 win with lock Brad Thorn having one of his finest games. The All Blacks and France met again in Marseille in November 2009, and the result was one of the great All Blacks wins, 39-12. Random All Black: Bryn Evans made his test debut off the bench but his second cap in Wellington a week later would be his last. He now works with the All Blacks as a lineout coach. Random Frenchman: Halfback Julien Dupuy was on debut and would later cop a six-month ban for eye-gouging a player during a Heineken Cup game. 2018 All Blacks 49, France 14 The background: Unusually, the Dunedin test was the third and final in the series, World Rugby finally having brought in a formal June-July window involving a regular series of three-test tours by northern nations. The All Blacks had walloped the French 52-11 in the opening test at Eden Park, and wrapped up the series victory with a 26-13 triumph in the second in Wellington. This was the twilight time for a genuinely great All Black team that had won back-to-back World Cups. When they were good, they were still very, very good. The game: The score suggests one-way traffic but it certainly was not that way in the first half. The All Blacks had to show a lot of patience as France, with nothing to lose, threw everything at them at Forsyth Barr Stadium. But when Damian McKenzie scored a try early in the second half, the floodgates opened, and the All Blacks scored 28 unanswered points. McKenzie finished with 24 points (two tries, seven conversions) and Rieko Ioane — on the wing — grabbed a hat-trick. Hometown hero and flanker Matt Todd also scored tries, while Scott Barrett announced himself as a world-class lock with a destructive display in the lineout and around the field. The Highlanders had five players in the starting XV and two more in the reserves. The ODT said: "International rugby is not 'getting on with it'. It is fast becoming a whinge fest. Coaches and players are going too far in pointing the finger at the referee." The aftermath: Yes, the major focus after the Dunedin test was the refereeing. Irish whistleblower John Lacey copped some backlash — mostly from anonymous morons online, but still — for appearing to impede a French defender when McKenzie scored his first try. The whole series had featured issues around the officiating, prompting All Blacks coach Steve Hansen to urge World Rugby to clarify matters. Random All Black: Jack Goodhue was seen as the next big thing but he never really kicked on to great things. Random Frenchman: Camille Chat actually played quite a lot at hooker but he deserves a mention because earlier this year he parted ways with his club of 12 years, Racing 92, after turning up to training still a bit drunk from the night before. Mais attendez, il y a plus (But wait, there's more) Otago played France three times at Carisbrook. The French won 15-6 in 1961, during a tour in which they were swept 3-0 by the All Blacks in the test series. They returned to beat Otago 12-6 in 1968 — again, part of a tour that included a 3-0 whitewash in the tests. Finally, in 1984, France beat Otago 20-10. They played just two tests against the All Blacks on that tour, losing both.
Daily Mail
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Dwayne Peel reflects on 20 years since battling the All Blacks with the British & Irish Lions - and reveals why coaching in Welsh rugby is his toughest task yet
It has been 20 years since Dwayne Peel took on the toughest challenge of his career as a player, battling the All Blacks with the British & Irish Lions. 'Blimey, has it been that long?' Peel asks, his mind wandering back to facing the likes of New Zealand superstars Dan Carter and Tana Umaga. 'That makes me feel a bit old.' Two decades on from starting all three Tests in a 3-0 series defeat in the southern hemisphere, Peel is now in the midst of the hardest job he's had since moving into coaching. As the man in charge of Welsh side Scarlets, he is bidding for success against a backdrop of financial cuts and political wrangling. The off-field uncertainty is such that currently, the Llanelli-based side does not have complete certainty over their long-term future. 'I don't think anybody's had assurances,' Peel adds matter-of-factly. Welcome to the madcap world of the game in Wales. Peel says the job is the hardest he's had in coaching after previous stints with Bristol and Ulster Peel is working through the carnage and his team punched above their weight in the campaign just finished. The Scarlets ran eventual United Rugby Championship winners Leinster close in their quarter-final clash in Dublin and secured qualification for next season's Investec Champions Cup, the draw for which will be made on July 1. These achievements might not seem worthy of champagne popping. But they must also be analysed with the current state of the broader Welsh rugby ecosystem in mind. In Peel's own words, Wales' four domestic sides have 'undoubtedly' been hamstrung by the multitude of problems the game in the country is facing. 'It's been difficult to manage,' the decorated former scrum-half says. 'That's the reality of where we are with what's going on off the field and finances getting cut. 'I don't need to spell out what's happened. It's made things tough. But you have to work in the parameters you have and make the best of them. 'We competed hard this season with a young squad, most of whom have come through our system. There's a lot to be proud of. If you look at the end of the URC, Leinster ran away with games. But even to the last minute of ours with them, I thought we were right in it. 'We've laid a good foundation. Now, our challenge is to build on that.' Wales' four domestic sides operated off playing budgets of just £4.5million in 2024/25 due to financial problems. All four teams – Dragons, Cardiff, Ospreys and Peel's Scarlets – have had to cut the size of their squads as a result. For contrast, while Leinster's annual squad spend is undisclosed, it is thought to be near to £15m. To that end, when they took on the Irish giants in Dublin, Peel was essentially bringing a knife to a gun fight. But his young Scarlets still caused some damage, albeit in a narrow defeat. 'We wanted to strive for the play-offs so to do that and get Champions Cup off the back of that was fantastic,' Peel says. 'The pedigree of this club has been built on the European Cup since its inception. We haven't played Champions Cup rugby for a good few years now, so that's something to look forward to. 'We've lost a lot of world-class Lions experience and a lot of leadership, but that's led us to rapidly bringing through a lot of exciting, young talent over the past season and they have been brilliant for us. It's been well-documented playing budgets have gone down. Last year was painful because we were really in transition. 'We had to do it. But the key was to get through that and build. We've got some quality young players, particularly in the back-line. The foundation has taken a long time to bed in here, but I think we're at a point where we've got that now. 'The Champions Cup will be another level up. It's the next challenge. As much as that brings excitement, we've got a small squad. That does put stress on the group. 'I've got some concerns around that in terms of player numbers but we've left the club at the end of this season in a better position than when we started.' There is never a dull moment in Welsh rugby. And as things stand, both the Ospreys and Scarlets are in a standoff with the country's governing body – the Welsh Rugby Union. The two west Wales regions opted not to sign up to the WRU's new Professional Rugby Agreement. They did so, they say, because of a lack of clarity on how the four clubs would be funded fairly and equitably going forward, following the WRU's takeover of Cardiff, which they felt could lead to the capital club being favoured. But the reality of that outcome is that the money Peel has to play with moving forward could be even less. The WRU is actively exploring the possibility of cutting its number of professional teams from four to three or perhaps even two. No-one, as Peel points out, can currently be sure of their position. It makes running a rugby team close to impossible. Welsh rugby's problems have been shown by the current 17-Test winless run of their senior men's side. The WRU remain on the lookout for a new head coach too. And yet the Scarlets have still shown promise. In the likes of Blair Murray and Tom Rogers, they have talented young players. Centre Macs Page is one to watch out for too and looks likely to win his first Wales cap in Japan in the weeks to come. 'We've done a good job of making it about the rugby and not worrying about what's going on above us,' Peel says. 'We've got 150 years of history here and produced some great teams. We have to represent that history as best we can. If you look at our metrics in terms of number of international players and where we finished the season, I feel we're in a good position. The club means so much to the whole of west Wales. 'In the next couple of seasons in Welsh rugby, the academies are going to be extremely important. We've had the likes of Tom and Macs come through and play very well. 'They're the future of the club and we've got to keep bringing those players through. There is a romantic side to this for me in terms of understanding what we represent. 'I came through the door here at 15. I played for 10 seasons. I grew up as a supporter and I've been so all my life. At some point, that has to provide an extra layer of drive.' Peel has Scarlets blood running through his veins. He had a brilliant playing career – the fact he was such a key man for the Lions in 2005 reflective of his talent. Playing at that level showed Peel rugby's elite. It is at that highest level that he hopes soon the Scarlets and Wales will return to. 'It was a dream of mine to play for the Lions,' he says. 'It was a tough tour on the playing side, but what an experience. We came up against a bloody good All Blacks team who were almost untouchable in the Tests. 'People look back on 2005 now and talk a lot about Sir Clive Woodward and Alastair Campbell. Clive was always innovating. That tour was very different to what I was used to with Wales. It was far bigger. For example, with Wales at the time we weren't used to having a chef travelling with us. Ultimately, it was about the rugby and we were well beaten. Alastair couldn't go out there and pass or kick for us.' Peel was a television pundit for the 2025 Lions' tour-opening defeat by Argentina in Dublin but expects Andy Farrell's side to have success in Australia. He pinpoints the pace of three outstanding No 9's in Jamison Gibson-Park, Alex Mitchell and Tomos Williams as key to the Lions game plan. But Peel's focus is already turning to next season, once a family holiday and clearing out the family's garden pond have been taken care of. 'From an international point of view, the structure in Wales has to be right for the game to flourish,' he says. 'We need to find a DNA as our national sport. 'When I look at other sports in Wales, like the football team, I think they've got an identity behind them and a feelgood factor about who they represent. That can be a big driver. There is good talent in Wales. 'We always produce good rugby players. The next Wales coach will have an opportunity to bring those players through. The regions have a role to play in that. 'I do get frustrated at what is happening. But I do see positivity and there is an opportunity to get things right. We're a proud country. Over the last 20 or so years, Wales has been a successful rugby nation. 'We're on a bit of a blip currently, but we need to keep striving to get back to where we belong. A high-speed tempo suits Welsh rugby and always has. 'Wales were in a quarter-final of a World Cup three years ago. Sometimes, you have to go through bad periods. As a proud Welshman, I'm sad when Wales lose. 'But I don't think we're at a dead loss from any perspective. There is opportunity out there, we just have to get it right.'
CBC
16-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Oshawa mayor 'disappointed' Ontario budget left out addictions, mental health emergency ward for city
Social Sharing Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter has called on Premier Doug Ford to fund a mental health and addictions emergency ward at the city's Lakeridge Health hospital, saying he was disappointed it was left out of Ontario budget after telling the premier about the urgent need for the project. Carter, who said he is a recovering drug and alcohol addict, said the city does not have the resources or capacity to meet peoples' needs. "I know as an addict… if you say, 'I got a bed for you, we're going to help you, I'm going to get you medicated,' I'm all in," Carter said Friday. "If you tell me to come back Tuesday because I'll have a bed and medication then, you'll never see me again." Carter said he first met with Ford 15 months ago at the premier's house to discuss the proposal, and reiterated the importance of the project with local MPPs and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones at Queen's Park two weeks ago. "We've made our case the best possible way we can. All we need is the allocation of funds and unfortunately I was disappointed," Carter said at a news conference on Friday. The mayor addressed Ford directly during the conference, saying the ward will save lives by connecting people with the care they need at the right time. "What happens is many of the patients end up walking out and we miss that opportunity to get them the proper care," he said. "It has to be a system that cares for individuals from the time that they're [vital signs absent] on the street all the way through to recovery." CBC Toronto reached out to the Ministry of Health for comment. The premier's office redirected the request to the Ministry of Health. Project supported by finance minister, mayor says Carter said he supports the province's Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs, which provide access to recovery and treatment systems for people struggling with addictions and mental health issues. The government is spending $550 million to create a total of 28 HART hubs across the province, including one in Oshawa, according to a news release from March. But he said the HART Hubs focus on recovery, while the proposed ward would quickly connect people with trained professionals in a calm environment. WATCH | Province considering involuntary addictions treatment for those in correctional system: Why experts are concerned by Ontario's move to consider involuntary addiction treatment 10 days ago Duration 2:40 The Ontario government says it wants to explore whether it could make people in the criminal justice system attend addiction treatment — regardless of whether they consent. This has experts raising ethical concerns. CBC's Britnei Bilhete has the story. Last year, emergency crews responded to over 350 overdoses in Oshawa, Carter said. He said the number of overdoses have been declining, but "people are still dying on our streets because of drug toxicity." "If it's six people or 60 people, I find that unacceptable," he said. Carter says he doesn't know why the emergency ward project was excluded from the budget, which was tabled on Thursday. He says it has been endorsed by local MPPs, including finance minister Peter Bethlenfalvy. He said Oshawa spends roughly $3.5 million annually on various addictions support programs. Among the city's initiatives, he said they created a rapid response unit with 20 specially trained firefighters to respond to overdoses. Oshawa is one of eight lower-tier municipalities within Durham region — meaning it has its own city council but is also a member of the Durham Regional Council. Carter said Oshawa has been advocating up to the regional council and the province for resources on mental health and addictions support for over five years. "We are on the frontlines and the other levels of governments are not on the frontlines," he said. Coun. Brian Nicholson, who represents Ward 5 in Oshawa, said he's received complaints from his constituents about people using drugs on streets in the neighbourhood, including in front of school yards. City council voted 6 to 5 against opening a supervised consumption site in Oshawa in March 2019, according to coverage from other news outlets at the time. Nicholson said he voted for the site. "We've rejected a single site safe injunction site with security," he said. "Now we have hundreds of unsafe injunction sites across the city."
CTV News
16-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Oshawa declares public health crisis over crime, addiction
Oshawa's mayor Dan Carter criticized the Ford government's latest provincial budget for failing to address health care funding. Mike Walker reports.
