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Bill Young retires from Rugby after nine years at the top
July 20, 2006 - 4:13pm
Story by: ARU
Australia's second most capped Test prop, Bill Young, has today announced his retirement from Rugby.
Young, who played 46 Tests for the Qantas Wallabies after making his Test debut against France in Paris in 2000, has decided to hang up his boots after nine years in the professional game.
Born and raised in the Kingsgrove district of Sydney, Young attended St. Joseph's College and was an Australian Under 21s representative in 1995.
After playing his junior rugby with West Harbour, he switched to his beloved Eastwood, where he played through to the senior ranks.
In 1998 he was signed by the Brumbies and got his first taste of professional rugby on a development tour of Europe.
His Super 12 debut followed mid-way through the 1998 season against the Hurricanes at Canberra Stadium, beginning a stellar international career as a specialist loosehead prop.
Young became just the sixth player in tournament history to raise 100 Super Rugby caps, clocking up the milestone in his last professional rugby match against the Crusaders in the final round of this year's Tooheys New Super 14 competition.
Incredibly, all 46 of his Tests were played in the starting XV. In nine seasons for the Brumbies, Young has the incredible record of missing just three matches to injury, but finally succumbed to the wear and tear of a long career at the top level.
Young said he had enjoyed a great ride.
"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."
"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."
"It will be tough to leave a game that has been my life for the past ten years. It is early days yet, but I will probably turn my energies to our family pubs, the Concord Hotel and Wiseman's Ferry Hotel."
Brumbies Rugby CEO Andrew Fagan said that Young would be sorely missed by the Brumbies.
"Bill has been an integral part of the Brumbies for almost a decade so this is a particularly sad day for his teammates and the entire Brumbies organisation," said Fagan.
"Bill has been a fantastic leader both on and off the field.
He was very much the spiritual leader of the team and is passionate about the Brumbies. Bill worked hard to maintain the culture and ethos of the team," added Fagan.
Qantas Wallabies Coach John Connolly said that Young's retirement marks 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," said Connolly.
"He has had a great career and will be a big loss for Australian Rugby."
Bill Young
Wallaby No. 765
Born: 4 March 1974, Sydney, NSW
Position: Loosehead prop
Height: 188cm
Weight: 112kg
Juniors: West Harbour
School: St.Joseph's College, Hunters Hill
Club: Eastwood
Junior Rep Honours
Australian Under 21's 1995
Playing Career:
Super 14
ACT Brumbies 1998-2006
Caps: 100
Points: 25 (5 tries)
Debut: 1998 v Hurricanes, Canberra Stadium
Tests
Qantas Wallabies 2000-2005
Caps: 46
Debut: 2000 v France, Paris[/b]