Dan Carter’s team Racing 92 has beaten the Northampton Saints 33-3 in the first game of the European cup.

Dan Carter was paid more than $1400 per minute for his debut with French club Racing 92.

The New Zealand star's wage and performance have come under the spotlight as the European game digests the arrival of the sport's highest paid player.

The Irish Examiner looked at the monetary details of Carter's part in Racing's 33-3 win over the Northampton Saints in their European Champions Cup match last weekend.

GETTY IMAGES New Zealand rugby star Dan Carter earned good headlines and good money for his debut with Paris club Racing 92.

Carter claimed man of the match honours and wide acclaim for his performance – his first since he dominated the Rugby World Cup final as the All Blacks beat the Wallabies in London to secure historic back-to-back titles.

READ MORE: Carter stars on debt for French club Racing 92

The Irish Examiner used a calculator to apply "some rudimentary accountancy" to Carter's French deal and came up with some staggering numbers.

They based their calculations on Carter's reported $2.76m per season deal at the Paris club.

Estimating Carter could play as many as 30 matches in Europe's cluttered calendar if he stays fit, that works out at $92,000 per game.

Break that down further and Carter is on $1150 a minute.

But Carter, easing into his job, was subbed after 63 minutes against Northampton, meaning that rate ballooned to $1460 a minute for his work on the field that included landing three conversions.

The Irish Examiner was good enough to provide some perspective, declaring the 33-year-old Kiwi was being paid "peanuts" compared to footballing superstar Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid.

They noted that Ronaldo's basic pay, estimated at more than $59m, dwarfed Carter's income.

"But then Real Madrid cater for 80,000 at the Bernabeu. Racing barely managed 8000 at Colombes for the advent of rugby's Pied Piper."