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Carter to brand it like Beckham
28/04/2008 08:58 - (SA)
New Zealad - Daniel Carter is poised to become rugby's answer to David Beckham, with his earnings from merchandising set to match what he is paid to perform on the field - if he signs a lucrative deal with French club Toulon.
According to reports in French newspapers Carter is eyeing a [Euro] 700 000 ($NZ1.4 million) deal from Toulon Rugby Club. But French media are reporting that on top of that sum he can expect to make a substantial income from a proposed merchandising deal.
The hook for Carter is that Toulon's flamboyant owner Mourad Boudjellal is keen to do a deal around publicity rights that will see Carter earn additional income off the sale of a Toulon jersey bearing Carter's name and what L'Equipe newspaper calls a wider plan to sell "Toulon-Carter" derived products.
Carter would be paid a percentage of the profits, on top of a guaranteed a minimum salary. The legalities of the deal are still to be ironed out between the two parties and apparently will only go ahead if Toulon, currently in the second division, makes it to the French Top 14. The team is leading the second division on 86 points, seven points ahead of Mont de Marsan, and 11 ahead of Racing Metro.
It is estimated that by the end of the season in June, Toulon will have sold about 30 000 rugby jerseys (which sell for up to [Euro] 59 each). That's regarded as a phenomenal figure for a division two club. By comparison, top first division club Stade Francais sold 80 000 jerseys last year.
Profile
Boudjellal has been bouyed by sales of Tana Umaga-related goods, which have been hugely successful since the former All Blacks captain moved to the Mediterranean club last season. Designers have drawn inspiration from Maori and South Pacific motifs, mixing them with the club's red and black colours.
Puma rugby jerseys, polo shirts and scarves all sport Umaga's profile.
Other merchandise selling on the club's on- line shop include a Tana Umaga 2007-08 diary ([Euro] 10) and a photographic book of his first two months in Toulon ([Euro] 14.90). There is even a signed plastic bracelet selling for [Euro] 6.
If Carter could cut a deal that gives him a slice of merchandising, it would be similar to Beckham's five-year deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy football team.
That deal was initially touted as being worth $US250m. But his annual base salary is only $US5.5m with the potential to earn double that amount by pocketing a percentage of ticket sales, merchandising and sponsorship revenues.
Beckham's former club, Real Madrid, last year put some hard numbers on the player's off-the-field impact in his four years at the Spanish giant.
The club sold $US600m worth of shirts and other soccer merchandise during that time, increasing merchandising profits by 137%, Real's marketing director Jose Sanchez said.
Sport business
The club sold one million shirts within the first six months of Beckham's arrival, according to Sanchez.
But they point up a basic truth of the sports business: star power only goes so far without success on the field.
Beckham has yet to take his marketing power outside football in the way the golfer Tiger Woods and basketball player Michael Jordan transcended their sports.
But making money off the field won't come without on-field performance and Boudjellal told France 3 television during the week that his club needed weighty reinforcements, assuming they rise to the Top 14 next season. Carter is part of his plan and the deal appears to be well advanced.
"Considering the level of the Top 14 next year, where there is a real recruiting race at present, it is obvious that between eight and 10 new players of a very high level are necessary," he said.
"Dan Carter is part of this, therefore we have made an offer that appears today to be the best placed.
"Now the ball is in his court, it is up to him to decide but I know that the work that we have done over the past two years, particularly with the arrival of Tana Umaga, has given the Toulon club a high profile in New Zealand."
'Measure of security'
According to Boudjellal, RCT has a number of advantages over other clubs which will enable them to pull off the "coup of the year".
"The presence of Tana Umaga in Toulon is a measure of security for the New Zealand Rugby Union, particularly concerning his preparation and physical state. We have a number of advantages up our sleeve, but it has not yet been concluded."
Carter would apparently come to Toulon in December 2008 and play until June 2009 - theoretically making him available for the All Blacks again in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
That is the sort of concept the New Zealand Rugby Union would like to see develop further as it eyes allowing key players to have sabbaticals offshore in the hope that may satisfy the growing demand for higher salaries and different playing environments overseas.
The move could allow leading players to spend several months overseas during the New Zealand summer, miss the Super 14 campaign and still be eligible for All Blacks selection.
In related news, the Sunday Star-Times understands Nick Evans, Carter's rival for the No 10 All Blacks jersey, has all but come to terms with the Harlequins club.
It's understood Evans is putting off signing in order not to jeopardise his chances of playing for the All Blacks this winter.
And it's understood Hurricane Andrew Hore, who is set to be the All Blacks' No 1 hooker this season, is also in talks with Toulon, who looking to replace ex-All Black Anton Oliver.
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Rugby
