All Blacks Icon Dan Carter Names Schalk Burger as Toughest Opponent

• New Zealand legend Dan Carter named the Springboks star player who was his toughest opponent during their illustrious rugby careers
• Carter included three Springboks legends in his Dream Team alongside legendary players and current stars
• Carter praised Schalk Burger's competitive spirit and off-field character after their fierce encounters

A former New Zealand star, Dan Carter, has spoken about a Springboks legend who was his toughest opponent during their playing days. Carter earned 112 Test caps for the All Blacks and won two World Cups with the national team.

In a candid interview, he opened up on the former South African rugby star, a World Rugby Player of the Year winner, calling him the player “who tried to kill me every time we played.”

The legendary former Boks hardman, Schalk Burger, topped Carter's list of toughest opponents. He said that Burger had been the toughest player he had ever faced and that he had tried to kill him every time they played South Africa. Carter added that Burger was a real competitor and an absolute top bloke off the field, and that his mindset was a little different when he was out there competing.

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Schalk Burger's rugby career

The South African, who recently showed off his Cape Town home, won the World Cup with the Boks in 2007 and was one of the most destructive forwards of his generation. His tenacious physicality and dominance on the breakdown earned him his stripes against his peers. For many flyhalves facing the Springboks during Burger’s prime, survival was often the primary objective.

After retiring from professional rugby, Burger returned to Cape Town and the wider Western Cape region, balancing family life with work, which includes involvement in the family wine estate and media roles such as punditry for SuperSport.

Burger has become a prominent voice post-retirement and is a regular contributor to rugby podcasts and television shows. He recently commented on the altercation between Eben Etzebeth and Welsh player Alex Mann during South Africa’s clash with Wales on Saturday, 29 November 2025.

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Carter’s dream team and current player picks

When naming his dream team, Carter included three Springboks, with Burger among them. He also revealed the current playing rugby star he would most like to play alongside, mentioning the French scrum-half Antoine Dupont. Dupont's speed, vision, and decision-making make him a standout player in this era of rugby.

Carter’s Dream Team consists of legendary players, including Bryan Habana, Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira, and Schalk Burger. Habana earned 124 Test caps for South Africa during his international career and Mtawarira earned 117 Test caps for the Springboks. Both are among the most capped players in Springbok history.

SFM fires back after ‘windgat’ claims

Briefly News previously reported that Springbok sensation Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has fired a pointed response at critics who have branded him “arrogant” and “windgat”, turning the noise into fuel after another standout performance for South Africa.

He posted a carousel of match moments on Instagram on Saturday, the very incidents that had dominated online chatter.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News