Dai Young - Prop
Wales RLHeritage No | 346 |
Date Of Birth | 26/07/1967 |
Place Of Birth | Aberdare |
Height | 185 |
Weight | 117 |
Education | Aberdare Comprehensive School |
Clubs | Cardiff, Salford Red Devils, Leeds Rhinos, Swansea, Northern Suburbs |
Honours | Wales, British and Irish Lions, Wales A, Wales RL, Wales B, Wales Schools |
Invitational | Barbarians |
Managed | Cardiff Rugby, Wasps, Barbarians, Cardiff |
Dai Young was Wales' 34th captain, leading us six times, the first being against England in 1992, the final time being in his last appearance, his 15th WRL cap, in 1996 against France. In addition, he won 51 caps for Wales in rugby union between 1987 and 2002, three caps for the British Lions, all in the 1989 tour of Australia. He played rugby union at club level for Swansea and Cardiff. Having not been selected to play for Wales in Australia and New Zealand in rugby union's first ever World Cup in 1987, he travelled to Australia anyway to play for Northern Suburbs in Sydney for a few months. But when Stuart Evans broke his foot playing against Tonga, Young was in the right place at the right time, making his WRU debut in the win over England in the quarter-finals. He turned professional with Leeds in 1990 for a then world record of £150,000, spending one season there before five years at Salford. When rugby union went openly professional, he returned to Cardiff, playing for six more years. After retiring, he first coached Cardiff Blues, spent nine years in charge of Wasps between 2011 and 2020 before returning to the Blues as Director of Rugby in 2021. He also coached the Barbarians several times between 2008 and 2013.
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