Son of former All Blacks playmaker and New Zealand rugby icon Carlos Spencer, Payton Spencer, is in camp with the Blues preparing for his rookie Super Rugby Pacific campaign.
The youngster garnered huge interest coming out of an impressive high school career at powerhouse Hamilton Boys, but endured an injury-plagued stint with the All Blacks Sevens to begin his professional rugby journey.
Currently, the 20-year-old is rehabbing a shoulder injury while enjoying his first taste of the environment his dad once led.
While King Carlos’ game is etched into the minds of many rugby fans around the world, Payton was only born in 2004 when his dad was wrapping up his famous All Blacks career. YouTube has filled in the blanks, so the youngster is well aware of what made the 44-time All Black such a beloved figure.
While hype and hope will inevitably draw comparisons between the two, Payton has an appreciation for his dad’s talent and recognises how unique he was.
“I think we’re different players – he’s crazy. He’s one of a kind. Hopefully, I can get to where he was one day,” he told Martin Devlin on DSPN.
The youngster also prefers a different jersey to his dad, with the fullback role being where he has found a home in 15s. He says he hasn’t played at 10 yet, “but maybe in the future that could happen.”
In general, Carlos is letting his son chart his own course.
“He’s pretty quiet, he lets me do my own thing. He doesn’t really have much of a say, he doesn’t really want to be in my ear the whole time. I think he’s just hoping for the best and hoping for the best for me.
“I’m sure he’d want me to get a few games under my belt.”
Whether or not fans will get to see the young speedster in action this year is unclear, but Spencer is treating the season as a “building” opportunity in a team stacked with outside back talent.
All Black Stephen Perofeta is expected to resume control of the No. 15 jersey this season, with fellow All Blacks Beauden Barrett and Harry Plummer vying for 10.
There are only a couple of All Blacks in camp at the moment, the likes of Sam Darry, who had an injury rule him out of the latter stages of the Autumn Nations Series, and Plummer, who is eager to get his head around nuances in the attacking gameplan as a decision maker.
The return of the rest of the team will no doubt be a boost but also be an exciting time for the younger members of the squad.
“It’s good, obviously there’s some massive names in the team. But, I feel like it’s more of an opportunity. You have some of the best minds in the game at the moment. It’s just great learnings, I can learn off them and the opportunity’s massive, to touch shoulders with some of the best rugby players in the world.”
Spencer has been surrounded by legends of the game his entire life, but that hasn’t made his path to professional rugby all that smooth. The public eye found Spencer from an early age, but he says he’s grown through the pressure that came with his surname’s legacy.
“It definitely comes with its ups and downs. I struggled with it quite a bit when I was a lot younger but the older I get, the more I get used to it. I think I’ve found a way just to embrace it in a way, it’s a good thing. I’m proud to have that name on my back and have him as my dad. I feel like it’s a blessing, it’s a good thing.”
The Blues kick off their 2025 campaign with a 2024 final rematch against the Chiefs at Eden Park, and while they carry the defending champs tag, the team are treating the season like the clean slate it is in search of a rare double.
“There’s been a big focus on wanting to go back-to-back, of course. Not just wanting to do it one year. There’s definitely a big push on getting that number-one spot again.
“Obviously I would like to be a part of it, I wasn’t here when the boys got the win last year, so hopefully I could help them and be part of one this year.”
