Star All Blacks five-eighth Dan Carter will make his return to rugby on Sunday in a rare appearance for Canterbury in the national provincial championship.

Carter will be back in the No.10 jersey when the defending champions host Southland in a cross-over fixture in Christchurch.

It will be the 32-year-old’s first appearance for Canterbury since 2009 and his first match since suffering a leg fracture in the Crusaders’ Super Rugby final defeat to the Waratahs eight weeks ago.

Test rugby’s leading points scorer, Carter has 100 caps to his name but hasn’t played for the All Blacks since coming off injured against England at Twickenham last November.

He then took a seven-month sabbatical to refresh mentally and physically.