Chiefs recruit Leroy Carter on tough decision to leave All Blacks Sevens

Leroy Carter has opened up on how “it wasn’t the easiest decision” to walk away from the All Blacks Sevens to pursue his lifelong dream of playing for the Chiefs in Super Rugby. Carter was unveiled as the Chiefs’ newest recruit on Friday, signing a two-year deal with the club.

On the HSBC SVNS Series, there haven’t been many players better than Carter over the last couple of seasons. Argentina’s Marcos Moneta, Antoine Dupont from France and Ireland’s Terry Kennedy have showcased their flair, but Carter has been one of the world’s best.

Carter was rewarded for a career-best season in 2022/23 with World Rugby recognising the New Zealander as a nominee for the Player of the Year honour. The playmaker led New Zealand to the overall title that season, which included Cup Final glory at the Hong Kong Sevens.

When the Kiwi was sidelined for periods of the recent 2023/24 season, it was clear the All Blacks Sevens missed him. But when Carter was back in the mix, they looked like world-beaters or certainly contenders for silverware against some formidable foes.

But after going to the Olympics for the first time, with Team New Zealand bowing out of medal contention after a shock loss to rivals South Africa in the quarter-finals at Stade de France, Carter has called time on his esteemed sevens career for now.

From next season, Carter will join the Chiefs’ Super Rugby Pacific squad which already boasts genuine star power. Clayton McMillan’s team includes Cortez Ratima, Damian McKenzie, Luke Jacobson, Samisoni Taukei’aho, and more.

“It wasn’t the easiest decision,” Carter told reporters on Friday. “I started to do pretty well, I thought, in the sevens scene but for me it was a good challenge to come across and I’ve always wanted to be a Chief.

“I’ve enjoyed my 15s for the Bay so I just really wanted to give it a crack. I didn’t want to get to the end of my career and say, ‘I wish I had a go.’

“It definitely wasn’t an easy decision because I loved my time there and I owe a lot to that All Blacks Sevens team and the boys that are in the team at the moment.

“It was quite a hard decision but I’m glad I did it and I’m looking forward to it.”

In a press release on Friday, head coach Clayton McMillan spoke about how Carter can be “a legitimate hybrid player” for the Chiefs. McMillan sees the former sevens ace as a genuine option at halfback and the wing, and the man himself is eager to embrace that challenge.

Carter has only played one match for Bay of Plenty in New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship this season but that was a start on the right wing. The Kiwi has retained that role ahead of this weekend’s clash with Otago at Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium.

The Olympian made five appearances last season on the right wing – scoring five tries – and only played on the wing the two seasons before that. But going back to Carter’s days with the New Zealand U20s, he started two of four matches at halfback.

“I guess just the one that gets me on the field,” Carter said when asked what his preferred position is. “I don’t really mind. I love playing both. Playing a bit more of wing at the moment with the Bay and they give me the license just to run around and do what I want so that makes it a bit more enjoyable.

“I just want to be on the field. I just want to play rugby, to be fair.”

But it’s no secret that Carter will have his work cut out for him if he wants to start in the Chiefs’ First XV next season consistently. All Black Cortez Ratima is the incumbent at halfback, while Etene Nanai-Seturo and Emoni Narawa have regularly been used on the wings.

Narawa is a one-Test All Black, while Nanai-Seturo is another former sevens star who has found a home in the Chiefs’ starting lineup. Utility Daniel Rona covered the wing last season, too, which included five starts and six tries – including a hat-trick on the left against the Force.

“That’s just part of the challenge and that’s what all good teams need I think is some rivalry between positions to get into that 15 and I can’t wait to do it.

“I’ve been involved with the Chiefs before and those boys are still around. Unreal players, the likes of Cortez (Ratima) in the ABs now – well deserved, he had a hell of a season. Emoni (Narawa) is playing with me at the Bay so we’ve been having a couple yarns about that.

“It’s going to be good fun and I can’t wait for it.”