How backpacking Europe put NZ-raised prospect on path to Canada Test rugby

Vancouver-born Spencer Jones spent his teenage years living in New Zealand, coming through the rugby age-grade ranks in Waikato before opting to take a break from the sport. It was a choice that led to life-changing opportunities and “sparked that love again” for rugby.

Jones has played 18 Test matches for Canada and the midfielder has been named in the 32-player squad for the Asahi Super Rugby Pacific Nations Cup 2026. But the journey to this point has spanned multiple countries and took a dramatic turn during a solo backpacking trip through Europe.

The now 29-year-old started out playing club rugby in Vancouver, before joining Edmonton side Nor-Westers and even got the chance to play alongside future Canada teammate Ben LeSage as part of the age-grade pathways at about under-13s level.

But after moving from the Great White North to New Zealand, and graduating from high school, Jones decided to take a break. Jones went backpacking through Europe alone, before a chance meeting with someone in a hostel opened a series of remarkable rugby doors.

Jones returned to North America after agreeing to play for a club side in Austin, Texas, which led to an opportunity back in Canada. The New Zealand-raised prospect ended up moving in with a few future icons of Canadian rugby, including current captain Lucas Rumball.

Scrum-half Andrew Ferguson and future two-time Rugby Canada Men’s Player of the Year Matt Heaton also lived there. There was then an opportunity to join those others at Major League Rugby side, the Toronto Arrows, and Jones kept “following the yes.”

“It’s funny because obviously going through the age-grade stuff in New Zealand, you get a sniff and you’re like really keen. But then I think it just became a lot at that time for me so I thought I’ll take a year off and then come back and give it another crack,” Jones told RugbyPass.

“That break for me personally was really good to find my feet again and get that itch to go back and see how far I can take this. It’s been a pretty cool, wild ride so far.”

Jones signed with the Arrows and quickly became a regular member of the run-on side. The centre strung some appearances together off the bench early in the 2021 season before returning to the starting role inside centre, and never really looking back.

Toronto secured a hard-fought nine-point win over the Houston SaberCats with Jones starting in the centres alongside LeSage in 2021. The second-five would go on to start matches against the San Diego Legion, Austin Gilgronis and NOLA Gold.

An international debut for the Canadian national team wasn’t too far behind, having been named to start in a drought-breaking 34-21 triumph over the USA Eagles. Jones received Player of the Match honours, once again combining with LeSage in the midfield.

“It was super special. It was cool because it was in Canada as well… it was against USA, the best rivalry that you could ask for really,” Jones said.

“The US were on the rise at the time and it had taken Canada a long time to beat the USA.

“Even just being able to ring my parents and say I’m getting the start this week, first Test, really exciting. Unfortunately they couldn’t come down because it was during Covid.

“All the hard work and the grind that you stay in for the whole time, it was pretty exciting, and then to get a big win against the USA at that time was super, super sweet.”

Jones spent multiple seasons with the Arrows before being announced as a marquee signing for the New England Free Jacks on December 12, 2022. The Free Jacks won the MLR Championship for the first time that season, beating the Legion in a 25-24 thriller.

New England only dropped one game throughout that campaign, which was against San Diego in the second round, and for quite some time that was a record. But the Chicago Hounds in 2026 became the first MLR side in history to successfully go through a season unbeaten.

“Pretty grateful to be able to be in that first team that won the championship,” he reflected.

“It was such a fun year. We had such a good group of lads and some really good coaches as well, and I learned a lot that year.

“The manager there prioritised obviously all the stuff on-field but the stuff off-field as well. Everyone was just in a really good headspace all year which made the season a lot of fun.”

Jones didn’t play another match for the Free Jacks after that championship decider, but remained in MLR after agreeing to join the Utah Warriors. It was a team captained by Australian-born flanker Bailey Wilson, who would later go the other way by signing with New England before 2026.

But after two seasons and about 12 appearances for the Warriors, Jones left MLR. The centre has most recently been playing for amateur side Hamilton Marist in New Zealand, but spent some time training with Waikato.

“I was training with Waikato through that time in New Zealand as well. It wasn’t like it was going from just two trainings a week coming into Canada camp and going into four full-blown Test weeks.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be doing this for a while, so coming back into a squad where the timings are all really well marked out; the trainings are well run. The first week, just finding your feet again and then after that it was pretty seamless for sure.”