Refs honour Scott Young
Tributes
Scott Young, the top referee, has decided to call active refereeing a day and get on with business.
Some of his colleagues, all top referees, have written about him.
(For the report on his retirement, click here.)
Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
First of all I want to congratulate Scott Young on a fantastic career. Not one for making a fuss, he invariably went unnoticed in his games (except when he fell over a prone player in Wellington a couple of years ago.) I know he will have been disappointed not to have refereed at the World Cups in Wales and particularly Australia, but he has done all the other big matches around the globe, and he is respected by most players, coaches and supporters alike. He has had a great run of over 10 years on the international arena which could have been longer but not for a series of injuries. He has gone out at the top of his game having another great Super 14 this year, and I am sure it will be some time before Australia produces another referee of his calibre.
Secondly and more importantly, Scotty has left a legacy of mateship unparalleled. One of my best friends on the circuit, all who have been associated with him will attest to this fine quality and he has gained many friends in all parts of the world. Hopefully his experience will not be lost to the game and we will see his name pop up somewhere in administration soon. Scotty, thanks for the times, especially Marseilles 2000 at five in the morning, broken in a bar singing at the top of our voices!
Andrew Cole (Australia)
What a disappointment Youngy has retired before his time. He always had a lot to offer the game. He brought a great presence to the field in his refereeing. Many referees pay lip service to the term they want to be a “players’ referee”. Scott truly was and never wavered from that. He had a great understanding of rugby and what the players were trying to achieve. He managed people well. He always put the players’ interests first and that may have not been so understood by the refereeing powers at times.
We shared some great moments “on tour”, undoubtedly some of my best rugby memories both on and off the field. Scott knew how to have a balance in life and definitely knew where the on/off switch was. He was always determined to produce his best on the field and celebrate the achievements when it was all done. Youngy lived by the phrase “Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional!”
I guess he'll be around Brisbane a lot more and he is great company although I imagine there will be plenty of ladies, young and old, around the world disappointed his travelling days are over.
Although cruelly sidelined at the top of his game with a knee injury that would have seen most of us throw our hands up in despair, he showed great courage, commitment and mental toughness to return back to the top. There is no doubt that without the injury setbacks he would have had an even greater impact on refereeing.
Youngy was a great referee for the game of rugby.
Pablo Deluca (Argentina)
My best wishes to him!
Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
I have had the privilege of working with Youngy for over 12 years now and it has been a great journey both on and off the field. Scott is a great referee and probably one of the unluckiest with injury as well. This has led to lost opportunities but I admire and respect him greatly in the way he has always fought back and showed great strength of character in the face of these setbacks.
His humour is first class and it is obvious that he is a boy trapped in a man’s body. It was fatal if you were with him when he was either tired or bored because that was when he was at his best. His alternate characters then came to the fore. Secret Agent Young who stalks the shopping centres of the world and the linguist who speaks numerous languages (all of which can only be understood and deciphered by Andrew Cole). Of course Queenslander was his favourite native tongue.
There is also the softer side. Fiona (my wife) her Mum and I had the great pleasure of travelling with Scott to the “Battle of the Somme” area in France to see where his Grandfather and the other “Aussie Diggers” fought in World War 1. It was a very humbling experience and great to share such a personal time.
Paul Honiss (New Zealand)
I remember my first meeting with Scott, which was back in 1987. I was on exchange in Brisbane representing the Canterbury Referees Association, and I stayed with Scott a few nights when he was living in an apartment in Indooroopilly. We were both of similar age and we had the same desire to go to the top of international rugby. At that time, Scott was very good friends with the late (great) Kerry Fitzgerald and we had a wonderful time for 10 days refereeing, training and socialising together.
We have been together on the International Panel for around 10 years now, and I remember vividly Scott thrashing the ABBA CD in the ref’s social room during the 1999 Rugby World Cup – they remain his favourite band, and yes he will kill me when he finds out I mentioned that!
Scott was always the ‘cool, calm & collected’ character who never looked phased during a match. Even when he was sprinting he used to give you the impression that he was coasting.
He has a great sense of humour, so whenever you worked with him in a match, you knew there was never going to be a dull moment.
Apart from being a world class referee, he is a superb socialiser and always one to seek out a party, organise a dinner party or simply have some friends around for a BBQ and some cold beers!
Last year Andrew Cole retired and now we are losing Scott – two enormous characters within the IRB refereeing ranks. Although I believe he still has a few good years left in him, he leaves behind a legacy of wonderful achievements. I know that he will pass on his refereeing experiences to the next group of up & coming Australian referees in his own quirky way, but one thing is for sure, his presence will be sadly missed on the international circuit.
I would like to wish him all the very best in his future goals and business aspirations, and also say thanks for being a wonderful bloke and refereeing colleague.
Ian Hyde-Lay (Canada)
I was lucky to meet and work with Youngy on several occasions, and came to appreciate first hand not only his considerable refereeing talents but also his wit, card playing ability, madcap antics, and great fellowship. He was just one of several Aussies (along with Andrew Cole, Stuart Dickinson, Gus Erickson, Peter Marshall and Sandy MacNeil) who went the extra mile to help a Canadian looking to make his way as a test referee.
While Youngy was considered a laid back, totally relaxed character, the competitive spirit always burned bright. He was desperately unlucky with injury, which robbed him of several chances to perform on the world stage, most notably in RWC 2003. Yet the fact he battled back on more than one occasion from various setbacks speaks volumes about his commitment and mental strength.
Players I spoke to from all over the world rated him highly. Enough said!
Apparently, Youngy is to move now into the business sector. I am confident he will do well, having listened to him first hand, a few years ago in a rain lashed Tucuman hotel, solve all the world's problems in typically hilarious fashion.
Youngy, all the best and visit Victoria again soon.
