All Blacks great Dan Carter has joined the Blues at the age of 38 as injury cover for Stephen Perofeta

The world record Test point-scorer will be back up first five to Beauden Barrett and will be in line for his first matches on New Zealand soil in five years during Super Rugby Aotearoa.

Carter is training with the Blues in Auckland today.

The Wellington Phoenix are the biggest benefactors of a Sport NZ funding package to boost professional sports teams in the country.

The A-League club will receive 950 thousand dollars out of a 4.6 million dollar fund to be distributed before July 1st.

The Warriors get 200 thousand while the five Super Rugby teams will share one point 25 million and the five ANZ Premiership Netball teams two point two million dollars.

Mercedes has blocked a proposal to have reverse-grid qualifying races in Formula One because they felt it was a gimmick that could affect the championship outcome,

The idea was put forward as a way of making back-to-back races at the same circuit less predictable and more entertaining.