Carlos Spencer
New Zealand
player portrait
Full name Carlos James Spencer
Born October 14, 1975, Levin
Current age 48 years 157 days
Major teams Gloucester Rugby, Golden Lions, Lions, Northampton Saints, New Zealand
Position Fullback, Fly-half
Height 6 ft 1 in
Weight 215 lb

Test career
Span Mat Start Sub Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop Won Lost Draw %
All Tests 1997-2004 35 30 5 291 14 49 41 0 27 7 1 78.57
Bledisloe Cup 1997-2004 9 7 2 79 0 11 19 0 6 3 0 66.66
IRB Rugby World Cup 2003-2003 7 7 0 25 4 1 1 0 6 1 0 85.71
The Rugby Championship 1997-2004 13 12 1 153 3 21 32 0 10 3 0 76.92

Career statistics
Test debut New Zealand v Argentina at Wellington, Jun 21, 1997 match details
Last Test Australia v New Zealand at Sydney, Aug 7, 2004 match details
Test Statsguru Main menu | Career summary | Match list | Most points | Most tries | Tournament list

English Premiership
Team Span Mat Start Sub Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop Won Lost Draw %
All matches 2005-2010 63 57 6 119 6 7 23 2 23 36 4 39.68
Northampton Saints 2005-2009 50 48 2 103 6 5 19 2 18 29 3 39
Gloucester Rugby 2009-2010 13 9 4 16 0 2 4 0 5 7 1 42.3
Profile

Carlos Spencer first came to the attention of Auckland boss Graham Henry while playing for Horowhenua in a Ranfurly Shield match against Henry's men in 1991.

Spencer was headhunted by Auckland, beginning a long association between the man who would become known as 'King Carlos' and Auckland rugby. He played in the Blues' first-ever Super 12 game in 1996, and would go on to represent the team until 2005.

He made his first Test appearance for the All Blacks against Argentina in 1997, landing 33 points in a 93-8 win. He struggled to fight his way past Andrew Mehrtens into the All Blacks jersey on a regular basis, often finding himself on the bench until 2002.

Having been selected for the All Blacks' 1999 World Cup squad but not playing through injury, Spencer finally made his mark at the 2003 tournament in Australia. He will be remembered however for the loose pass that was intercepted for a try by Australia centre Stirling Mortlock, sending the All Blacks out at the quarter-final stage.

Having won the Super 12 with the Blues in 2003, Spencer moved to Northampton Saints in 2005, ruling himself out of contention to play for the All Blacks against the British and Irish Lions in order to train with his new club.

Spencer enjoyed a successful period with the Saints despite their relegation from the Premiership in 2007, becoming a senior and respected player as they fought their way out of National League One. Spencer left Northampton in January 2009 after failing to break into the first team on a regular basis following their return to the top flight.

He later signed for Premiership rivals Gloucester on a short-term deal, leaving them to return to Super 14 action with the Lions in 2010. He would eventually move into a coaching role with the Johannesburg-based franchise under fellow Kiwi John Mitchell.

Latest Articles
Gregan, 'four more years' and King Carlos (Aug 25, 2015) Carlos Spencer leaves Kings in South Africa (Jul 22, 2015) Super Rugby cult heroes: 10 fan favourites (Feb 2, 2015) Spencer shown the door by Lions (Aug 3, 2012) David versus Goliath as Force host Bulls (Mar 25, 2010) Carlos Spencer news and articles (29) »
Latest Photos
Dec 15, 2012
Former All Black Carlos Spencer takes on former New Zealand rugby league player Jarrod McCracken
Former All Black Carlos Spencer takes on former New Zealand rugby league player Jarrod McCracken
©  Getty Images
Dec 14, 2012
Carlos Spencer poses during the Fight for Life weigh-in
Carlos Spencer poses during the Fight for Life weigh-in
©  Getty Images
Mar 7, 2011
Lions assistant coach Carlos Spencer offers some instruction
Lions assistant coach Carlos Spencer offers some instruction
©  Getty Images
Feb 21, 2011
Lions backs coach Carlos Spencer
Lions backs coach Carlos Spencer
©  Getty Images
Carlos Spencer rugby photos (16) »

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