Spence (21) has played 19 games for Otago but at times during the past three months he wondered if he would get to 20, thanks to a heavy concussion.
Spence, a midfield back, was playing for Kaikorai in a club game against Dunedin on Anzac Day.
He got through the game all right but a couple of days later started feeling not quite right.
''I never got knocked out in the game. Never went unconscious. I did get a couple of decent hits that day and got into quite heavy contact,'' he said.
''A couple of days later I started getting a ringing in my right ear. It was ringing quite heavily, and never really went away.
''Then over then next few days I just did not feel quite right. Had a few headaches.''
It went on as Spence found himself suffering.
''It was just more the way I couldn't concentrate. I talked to clients and I would get agitated when I started thinking for them.''
Spence was a personal trainer but eventually had to stop as he was not improving.
''I pottered around home, doing a few jobs. But it was hard. Could only watch TV for about half an hour. Could hardly pick up a bucket of paint.
"The thing is with other injuries, if you have got a sore shoulder then you can do other training. But not this. You can't do anything.
''It was tough, the toughest thing I've been through. I would go and watch a game, and I'm not a great watcher, but I would be in the clubrooms afterwards and people would ask you when you would be back playing because you look fine.
''But it is not like having a cast on your leg.''
He went to see an ear specialist, a neurologist, brain specialists at Wakari Hospital and other medical professionals.
They all said he had suffered a concussion and simply had to wait for it to improve. Rest was the cure.
So wait he has, and more than three months later he has made the first tentative steps back to playing rugby, training with Otago and getting into some light contact work in the past couple of weeks.
He has put no timeline on when he wants to get back on the field for Otago, saying he feels about 95% at the moment, but knows his health comes first.
