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Carlos Spencer's son following in his dad's footsteps with Super Rugby contract

Payton Spencer, son of Carlos, in action for Hamilton Boys' High

All Blacks legend Carlos Spencer’s son, Payton has decided where his rugby future will be based and signed on the dotted line with his dad’s former Super Rugby side, the Blues.

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But that’s not the only signing the young fullback has made, also inking a deal with the New Zealand sevens.

“He’s just signed a contract with New Zealand Sevens, Auckland and Auckland Blues,” the ex-All Black reported on the Between Two Beers podcast.

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“We’re very proud of him. He’s got a great opportunity now the door is open but the hard work starts and the rest is up to him now.

“This year he’s been contacted by a few unions… he made the decision rugby is his future and where he wants to be.”

Payton’s scintillating play for Hamilton Boys High School’s First XV team inevitably started to make waves on social media and amplified the chatter around the 18-year-old’s potential.

That noise was only furthered when the Hamilton Boys team claimed the national title.

“As parents we just let him do his own thing. We’ve stood back and let him make his own decisions.

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“He was approached from the Chiefs, the Highlanders and Crusaders and the way the Crusaders have been going, I wouldn’t say I was leaning toward him going there, but I wouldn’t have been sad had he gone there; and knowing the history I have with the Crusaders,” Spencer joked.

“But this is his decision and he decided he was going to be happy in Auckland. That was purely his choice on his own. We’re just there to support him, we’re not there to make the decisions for him.”

Payton’s athletic ability was plain to see from an early age according to his father, but it wasn’t applied to rugby, Payton was also a strong performer in his high school’s first XI cricket team.

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“When it comes to the skillset, he was just one of those kids you know straight away he had something. The natural ability was there.

“We try and instil the discipline in him… living in South Africa for seven-and-a-half years, I thought it was the best place for our kids to go to school. In terms of respect and discipline.

“That place was amazing, he learned a lot there about discipline and respect. We instil a lot of that at home as well.”

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Tom 1 hour ago
Has 'narrow-mindedness' cost Ribbans and others their Lions chance?

I didn't say anything regarding whether I feel the eligibility rule is right or wrong, you've jumped to conclusions there…


The fact is the eligibility rule does exist and any English qualified player is aware when they sign a foreign contract that they're making themselves ineligible and less likely to be picked for the Lions. If Jack Willis and Dave Ribbans priority was playing for England and the Lions they wouldn't be playing in France. Whether they should be allowed to play for England or not isn't my point. Under the current rules they have chosen to make themselves ineligible so they can't have their cake and eat it while other players have taken lesser salaries to commit themselves to their dream of playing for England and the Lions. They have made their choices.


Besides, while it works for South Africa doesn't prove it will work for any other country. South Africa have an extraordinary talent pool of incredible rugby athletes which no other country can compete with. They sadly don't have the resources to keep hold of them so they've been forced into this system. If they had the wealth to keep all their players at home and were still playing in Super Rugby they might be even better… they could be worse. We can't know for sure but cherry picking the best country in the world with a sample size of 1 and extrapolating it to other nations with very different circumstances doesn't hold water. Again, not saying the eligibility rule is correct just that you can't assume scrapping it would benefit us simply because South Africa are world champions.

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I
IkeaBoy 1 hour ago
How Leinster bullied the Bulls at Croke Park

Expert coaches exist across the land and the IRFU already funds plenty. Ulster own their academy and who owns Ulster?


If you go to school in the North and rugby/tag rugby isn’t even on the PE curriculum until 12/13 as opposed to 7 or 8 in Leinster, how is that the IRFU’s fault? Even then, it’s only certain schools in the North that will offer it. On what basis would they go up to the North (strictly speaking, another country in the eyes of some) and dictate their schools programme?


The ABs used to be light years ahead of the pack because their eventual test superstars had been playing structured, competitive rugby from an average age of 5/6! On top of kicking it around the yard from the age they could walk with their rugby mad parents and older siblings.


Have you somehow gotten the impression that the Leinster system is not working for Irish rugby? What is that based on? The SARU should just stop competing because despite their back to back RWC’s, all 4 of their URC teams aren’t contesting semi-finals every year?


A couple of mining towns basically provided a Welsh team in the 70’s that were unplayable. Queensland in the old Super 10 provided the spine of an Oz team that were the first to win multiple world cups and in the same decade. The ABs population density is well documented with 35% of the population living around one city.


Is England’s match day 23 equally represented by mid-counties players, tough as nails northerners, a couple from Cornwall, a pack of manc’s and a lone Geordie? Ever?

It’s cute they won’t relegate the Falcons but has a Geordie test player ever hit 50 caps?


It’s ok not to understand geography. It’s also ok not to understand sport. Not understanding the geography of sport is something different entirely.

266 Go to comments
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