‘Very lucky’: Ex-All Black explains his new grassroots coaching role in Ireland
Carlos Spencer with the All Blacks in 2003
Former All Blacks out-half Carlos Spencer has described himself as “very lucky” after taking up a three-year deal to become head coach at Terenure College, a leading Division 1A men’s club in Ireland.
The 49-year-old, who won 44 Test caps between 1995 and 2004, had recently assisted the Blues women’s team as backs coach in their Super Rugby Aupiki title success, but he will now head to Dublin to take charge of a men’s club that won its first All-Ireland League title in 2023 when beating Clontarf in the Aviva Stadium final.
Also beaten finalists in 2022 and 2024, Terenure finished sixth in the 2025 league, but they will now look to challenge again for the title with Spencer at the helm until the summer of 2028.
In a social media video that began with a clip of white smoke in a nod to Vatican City’s Sistine Chapel naming the pope, Spencer said: “Good afternoon everyone, hope you are all well. It’s Carlos Spencer here.
“I just want to send out a really quick message to say how thrilled I am to be joining Terenure Rugby Football Club as head coach. I know it’s a club with a proud history, passionate supporters and a strong sense of community. I feel very lucky and honoured to now be a part of that.
“I’m ready to give it everything I’ve got…”
“I look forward to meeting the players, coaches and the rest of the management group but most of all I’ll look forward to contributing on and off the field. I know it’s a club that sets very high standards and I am ready to give everything that I have got. Thanks for listening in. I look forward to catching up with you all very soon.”
In a club statement, Will Moore, the chairman of rugby, added: “Terenure College RFC are delighted to announce the appointment of former All Blacks fly-half Carlos Spencer as the new head coach of the senior men’s squad on a three-year contract. Spencer, an All Black icon, will take charge of the team this summer ahead of the 2025/26 season.
“Terenure also announced that the vastly experienced Paul Barr will be taking on the role of the club’s performance director, working closely with the highly regarded and long-standing director of rugby Ian Morgan.
Delighted to announce the appointment of Former All Black fly half, Carlos Spencer, as the new Head Coach of our Senior men’s squad on a 3 year contract.@Sherry_Fitz @sflettings @GrantThorntonIE #energiaAIL #irishrugby #AllBlacks pic.twitter.com/tBARK3bj3D
— Terenure College RFC (@terenurerugby) May 10, 2025
“Carlos will be welcomed warmly into the Terenure community and everyone involved with our club is extremely excited to begin working with him, especially the players.
“We are confident that Carlos will bring with him an incredible wealth of knowledge, experience and skill from his professional rugby playing and coaching career and we are looking forward to the journey ahead.”
It was June 2020, at the height of the financially damaging pandemic, when Spencer was released from his assistant’s role at the Super Rugby Hurricanes. He switched to the MLR in America for a stint at NOLA before moving into women’s coaching at the Blues.
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