Flyhalf poser for All Blacks

Wellington - One All Blacks flyhalf has rejected the chance of Olympic glory and another is weighing up playing the Lions against a lucrative foreign offer as New Zealand contemplates life after Dan Carter.

Test centurion Carter is ending his stellar international career after the World Cup to take up a contract with Racing Metro in Paris, leaving Aaron Cruden, Beauden Barrett and Colin Slade vying to replace him as New Zealand's first-choice pivot.

They do so against a backdrop that includes the chance to win Olympic gold in 2016, a rare opportunity to play the British and Irish Lions in 2017 and immediate big-money offers from European clubs.