The three-time World Rugby Player of the Year has joined the Auckland franchise for the Super Rugby Aotearoa, a domestic alternative to a Super Rugby season that could not be finished due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Dual Rugby World Cup winner Carter had been plying his trade with Japanese side Kobelco Steelers since 2018 but has now returned to his homeland.

Carter spent 13 seasons playing for the Crusaders, winning three Super Rugby titles and amassing over 140 appearances before leaving in 2015.

He went on to play for Perpignan and Racing 92 – claiming titles with both French teams – prior to completing a two-season deal with the Steelers, where he led Japan's Top League outfit to silverware in 2018.

Carter, set to team up with All Blacks star Beauden Barrett, is now set to play his first rugby match on New Zealand soil in five years.

The Blues will open their Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign against the Hurricanes at Eden Park in Auckland on June 14.