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Hurricanes assistant coach Carlos Spencer released immediately due to COVID-19 financial concerns

(Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

The Hurricanes have announced they have parted ways with assistant coach Carlos Spencer, effective immediately, due to the financial implications brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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In a brief statement, the club said: “Due to the financial uncertainty created by COVID-19, we have agreed he [Spencer] will finish his contract early.

“This means he will not be part of the Hurricanes coaching team for the remainder of Super Rugby Aotearoa.

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“We would like to thank Carlos for his significant contribution to the Hurricanes and wish him all the best for the future.”

Speaking to 1 News, Hurricanes chief executive Avan Lee described the decision to terminate the former All Black’s contract early as “an incredibly challenging situation”.

1 News reports that the decision is not indicative of Spencer’s coaching ability or his relationship with squad or staff members, and that injured utility back James Marshall may shoulder more responsibility with attacking duties as a result of Spencer’s exit.

Spencer, who played 35 tests for the All Blacks between 1997 and 2004, joined the Hurricanes’ coaching ranks as an assistant ahead of the 2019 season after backroom stints with the Lions, Sharks, Southern Kings and Munakata Sanix Blues.

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A three-time Super Rugby champion with the Blues, the 44-year-old will now act as a free agent in the coaching market as the coronavirus-enforced financial strain continues to bite the professional rugby scene.

The most recent example of the economic downfall caused by coronavirus came last week, when the Highlanders announced they won’t be looking to fill the role of departing assistant coach Mark Hammett at the end of this season in a cost-saving effort.

Spencer’s departure from the Hurricanes leaves the club with a shortened coaching list that is void of much experience at Super Rugby level.

Jason Holland is in his first campaign as head coach after being promoted from his assistant position at the end of last year when John Plumtree was named as an assistant coach to new All Blacks boss Ian Foster.

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Similarly, Chris Gibbes is in his first year in the Hurricanes’ coaching staff after spells around the globe with teams such as Waikato, Wellington, Ospreys, Japan, Georgia and the New Zealand U20 side.

Former All Blacks wing Cory Jane is also in his first season as Hurricanes defence coach, three years after his retirement as a player, while scrum specialist Dan Cron remains on board with the club.

The Hurricanes remain winless in Super Rugby Aotearoa this season after losing to the Blues and Crusaders in the opening rounds of the competition, and will be searching for their first win when they face the Chiefs in Hamilton this Sunday.

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Eliza Galloway 1 hour ago
Geoff Parling: An Englishman roasting the Lions?

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JW 1 hour ago
James O'Connor, the Lions and the great club v country conundrum

Lol you need to shoot your editor for that headline, even I near skipped the article.


France simply need to go to a league format for the Brennus, that will shave two weekends of pointless knockout rugby from their season and raise the competitions standards and mystique no end.


The under age loophole is also a easy door to shut, just remove the lower age limit. WR simply never envisioned a day were teams would target people under the age of 17 or whatever it is now, but much like with Rassie and his use of subs bench, that day was obviously always going to come. I can’t remember how football does it, I think it’s the other way around with them, you can’t sign anyone younger than that but unions can’t stop 17 or 18 yo’s from leaving for a pro club if they want to. There is a transaction that takes place of a few hundred thousand for a normal average player. I’d prefer rugby to be stricter and just keep the union bodies signoff being required.


What really was their problem with Kite and co leaving though? Do we really need a game dominated by Internationals? I even think WR’s proposed calendar might be a bit too much, with at minimum 12 top tier games being played in the World Championship. I think 10 to 12, maybe any one player playing 10 of those 12 is the best way to think of it, for every international team is max, so that they can allow their domestic comps to shine if they want, and other nations like Japan and Fiji can, even some of the home nations maybe, and fill out their calendar with extra tours if they like them as a way to make money. As it is RA don’t have as good a pathway system, so they could simply buy back those players if they turn good. Are they worried they’ll be less likely to? We wait for baited breath for the new season to be laid out in front of us by WR.

It could impose sanctions on the Fédération Française de Rugby, but the body which runs the Top 14 and the ProD2, the Ligue Nationale de Rugby, is entirely independent.

It’s not independent at all. The LNR is a body under, and commissioned by, the FFR (and Government control) to mediate the clubs. FFR can simply install a new club competition if they don’t listen, then you’d see whether the players want to stay at any club who doesn’t tow the line and move to the new competition, as they obviously wouldn’t fall under the auspice of world rugby. They would be rebels, which is fine in and upon itself, but they would isolate themselves from the rest of the game and would need to be OK with that. I have no doubt whatsoever that clubs would have to and want to fall in line to remain part of the EPCR and French rugby. Probably even the last thing they would want is to compete with another French domestic competition that has all the advantages they don’t.


All those players would do good for a few seasons in France, especially the fringe ones, with thankfully zero risk of them being poached if they turn good. New Zealand had a turn at keeping all of it’s talent, and while it upticked the competitiveness of the Super Rugby teams into a total dominance of Australian and South African counterparts (who were suffering more heavily than most the other way at that stage), it didn’t have as positive an effect on the next step up as ensuring young talents development is not hindered does. Essentially NZR flooded the locate market with players but inevitably it didn’t think the local economy could sustain any more pro teams itself, so now we are seeing a normal amount of exodus for the availability of places again. Are Australia in exactly the same footing? I think so, finances where dicey for a while perhaps but I doubt they are putting money constraints on their contracting now. It’s purely about who leaves to open up opportunity.

62 Go to comments
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