EX-ABS hooker dies, 90
Former All Blacks hooker Dennis Young, a talented tap dancer in his youth, later used his lightning-fast feet to bamboozle opponents in scrums around the world.
Young died in Christchurch on Sunday aged 90. He played 22 tests and 39 games for the All Blacks between 1956 and 1964.
Although not large in stature, Young was a combative unit on the rugby field; this was evident in the scrums during an era when hookers had to possess sharp reactions to win the feed or risk being embarrassed.
Unlike today, where hookers rarely lose their own ball in scrums, the men in the middle of the two front rows often duelled with their feet to win possession.
Young, who won Canterbury age-group awards for his tap dancing ability, was quick to put those skills to work and win valuable tightheads for the All Blacks, Canterbury and the Christchurch Tech OB club. Although he only stood 1.73m and weighed 87kg – the hookers of today weigh around 110kg – Young enjoyed the physicality of the sport; he was determined, athletic and tough.
Sons Mark and Bryce described their father as being ‘‘built like a bulldog’’ and his tenacious spirit was evident to everyone who watched him rip into his work in the tight exchanges during rugby matches.
Young, who was born in Christchurch and was raised by his mother Gladys after his father Dennis was killed in World War Two, represented Canterbury 139 times.
Before rugby took his time,
Young was a very good junior field athlete and excelled in the discus, shot put and the hammer throw.
He worked as a cabinet maker, and after marrying Barbara and starting a family he built their house in the suburb of Woolston.
Young later switched careers, teaching woodwork and technical drawing at Shirley Boys’ High School and Hillmorton High School and then formed a travel company in partnership with Rod Lee in 1977.
Perseverance and a competitive spirit ensured Young came to the prominence of the All Blacks selectors. Although he was only 18 when he made his first-class debut in 1948, appearing for a Canterbury XV, it was another two years before he began his decorated career with Canterbury.
Despite not being a huge man, and Mark and Bryce joked that he may have exaggerated his height for the benefit of the rugby programmes, Young was extremely strong. He played in an All Blacks trial in 1950, but didn’t win his first test cap until he was picked to play South Africa in the second test at Athletic Parkwellington in 1956.
It wasn’t to be a memorable day, with the All Blacks suffering an 8-3 defeat and he was dropped to the reserves to make way for Ron Hemi.
Young was also Hemi’s understudy on the 1957 tour of Australia but played all three tests in 1958 against the touring Wallabies when the latter was unavailable.
Young’s career appeared to have stalled when Hemi returned, and Des Webb was called in as his backup. But in 1960, at the age of 30, things went up a gear.
Young was recalled for the tour of South Africa, and with Hemi injured Young played all four tests in the Republic.
For the next couple of seasons he was regarded as the best hooker in New Zealand, although fellow Cantabrian John Creighton was preferred for the second test against the touringwallabies in 1962.
Young retired after the 1963-64 tour of Britain and Ireland. He played 235 first-class games over 14 years in New Zealand.
Popular among his peers and an outgoing personality, Young enjoyed fishing, playing bowls, listening to sports on the radio.