Australia’s second-most capped Test prop forward Bill Young on Thursday announced his retirement from rugby.
Young (32), who made 46 international appearances after making his Test debut against France in Paris in 2000, has been troubled by a chronic neck injury this year.
He sought a third and final doctor’s opinion this week after experiencing numbness in his left hand and arm.
”I’ve got problems that need fixing in my neck and if I don’t then I could end up with some permanent disability in my left hand,” he said earlier this week.
”That’s their [doctors’] concern. They’re obviously very cautious and very concerned about my health.”
Young became just the sixth player in tournament history to play 100 Super rugby games for the ACT Brumbies, clocking up the milestone in his last match against the Canterbury Crusaders in the final round of this year’s Super 14 competition.
In nine seasons for the Brumbies, Young missed only three matches through injury, but finally succumbed to the attrition of a long career at top level.
”If you had told me ten years ago that I would play 46 Tests for the Wallabies and over 100 Super 14 games for the Brumbies, I would have been delirious,” Young said at a press conference on Thursday.
”It has been a great ride with a lot of very good memories and I leave the game with lifelong friendships in Australia and around the world.”
Wallaby coach John Connolly said Young’s retirement was a great loss to Australian rugby.
”Bill has been a great soldier for Australia and has given great service to the Wallabies for the last six years,” Connolly said in a statement. — AFP
