Phillip Warren Young - press releases 2002

Phil

No. 2 - Otago man to take on Stags

The worst kept secret in Southland rugby has been confirmed - former Otago assistant Phil Young will take over from Leicester Rutledge as Stags coach for 2002. Rugby Southland confirmed Young's appointment only yesterday and the final details of his contract are yet to be completed, with Rutledge's imminent move to Italy still to be finalised. Any change at Rugby Park is still dependent on Rutledge's resignation. Rutledge is in negotiations with the Italian Rugby Federation to jo in John Kirwan as assistant coach to the national team.

Young is originally from Southland, a former Waiau Star loose forward who played 10 games for the Stags between 1976 and 1979. Unable to crack the starting team regularly because of Rutledge and fellow All Black Ken Stewart, Young shifted to Otago and played 50 games for the blue and golds. He has coached the Taieri senior team, Otago under 18s, under 19s and Colts and was the assistant coach of the national provincial championship team from 1996 to 2000, including Tony Gilbert's title-winning 1998 team.

This season Young led the Highlanders B team, featuring several of Southland's top players, to second place in the national development competition with South\-land assistant Mark Sey\-mour. "As a player and a coach I've got a real passion for the game," Young said yesterday. "To get an opportunity like this, they don't come very often. I'm awed by the whole thing really, I just can't wait to get down there and get my hands dirty and get stuck in."

Young has resigned from his job as operations manager at Wenita For\- estry after 29 years in the industry, but will continue to live in Outram, commuting to Southland for training and games. Southland rugby was heading in the right direction, he said. "As long as the players understand that when they are pulling on the jersey they are not just doing it for themselves or their team mates, they are doing it for the whole province and anyone who has played in that jersey."

"I've been really impressed with what is happening down there." Instilling a positive team culture within the squad was important to Young. "As long as the players understand that when they are pulling on the jersey they are not just doing it for themselves or for their team mates, they are doing it for the whoile province and anyone who has played in that jersey." Young is also keen to extend the relationships between the Highlanders partners, North Otago, Otago and Southland.

When Young told Otago Rugby Football Union members on Monday of his plans, the union was supportive, he said. Many of Southland's leading players will get to meet Young this weekend when they gather for a training camp in Invercargill. Young officially takes over the keys to Rugby Park on June 1 but said he wanted to spend as much time as possible here before then.

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