Tom Youngs gave a dressing room speech to his Leicester Tigers team-mates that left many players in tears ahead of his farewell on the weekend.
Youngs has retired from rugby will immediate effect following a period of indefinite leave to care for his sick wife, Tiffany. Youngs talked about his wife, the cruelty of life and what it meant to him to be able to play for the club.
He also spoke of his admiration for his brother, England scrum-half Ben, who turned down the chance to go on the Lions tour of New Zealand in 2017 to be close to his brother and his family during their difficult time.
Tiffany was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, shortly after giving birth to her daughter Maisie in 2014. Tom pulled out of England’s tour of New Zealand that year to care for her. You can read Ben's emotional tribute here.
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After chemotherapy was not successful, Tiffany underwent a number of stem cell transplants and clinical trials before being told she had between four weeks and one year to live. Ten months after that diagnosis, having researched alternative therapies, taking cannabis oil and changing her diet with the help of a nutritionist, she was declared in remission.
But she has been battling illness again in the past year, with Youngs now calling time on his career after making 215 appearances for Leicester, as well as earning 28 Test caps for England and three for the British & Irish Lions.
Ahead of Leicester's match against Bristol on the weekend, Youngs spoke to the players he used to lead, before being honoured by supporters at Welford Road, with daughter Maisie in his arms.
“I just talked about how I’d love to do one more tackle for them and one more carry for them but I can’t,” Youngs told the Telegraph.
“I talked about Tiff a little bit. I talked about life, and how when you’re in the moment, in that changing room, you don’t realise how good it is and how lucky you are sometimes. Ultimately, you don’t realise how cruel life can be sometimes, so you have to enjoy those moments. There wasn’t really a dry eye in the changing room. It was lovely, and those things will sit with me for a long time.”
Speaking of his brother's gesture five years ago, Youngs said: “It was a very tough moment and his selfless actions were something I hold in high regard. He didn’t even ask my opinion on it, he just did it and we had some special times when he didn’t go on the Lions tour.
“We ended up going to Center Parcs all together and made some really good memories in those times that can never be taken away. To have that bond with your brother I think is very special. It shows what we are like as a family, how we’ve been brought up and raised by our parents and how special family is to us all. We’ve got a big family in Norfolk and we look after each other. That’s what we do, all the time.”
