Ben Spencer (rugby union)
Full name | Benjamin Thomas Spencer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 31 July 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Stockport, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 86 kg (190 lb; 13 st 8 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School |
Bramhall High School Ivybridge Community College |
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Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Benjamin Thomas Spencer (born 31 July 1992) is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Premiership Rugby club Bath and the England national team.
Club career
Spencer represented Cambridge during the 2010–11 National League 1 season. In August 2011, after impressing during a pre-season trial, Spencer signed for Saracens. In March 2015, Spencer kicked a last-minute penalty as Saracens defeated Exeter Chiefs 23-20 in the final of the Anglo-Welsh Cup. In May 2016, Spencer was a second-half substitute for Richard Wigglesworth as Sarries defeated Racing 92 to win the European Rugby Champions Cup for the first time. The following season, Spencer was again a used replacement as Saracens defeated ASM Clermont Auvergne to retain their European title. He was Saracens' top try scorer in the 2017/18 season. He scored a penalty as Saracens beat Exeter 27-10 in the Premiership final in 2018, and then the following year scored a try as Saracens retained the Premiership title. Spencer won his third European Rugby Champions Cup, this time starting the final, as Saracens defeated Leinster.
He joined Bath in a three-year deal ahead of recommencement of the 2019–20 season.
International career
Spencer was a member of the England under-20 squad that competed at the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship in South Africa. In January 2012, Spencer scored a try on his debut for the England Saxons in a victory against Ireland Wolfhounds.
On 27 October 2019 he was called up to England's squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup as an injury replacement for Willi Heinz.
Honours
- Saracens
- 4x Premiership Rugby: 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019
- 3x European Rugby Champions Cup: 2016, 2017, 2019
- 1x Anglo-Welsh Cup: 2015
- England
- 1x Rugby World Cup runner-up: 2019