Dom Young – England’s next big hit?

Not many people in England will have heard of him before the start of the RLWC, but Dom Young has certainly showed the Rugby League world who he is now.

The 21-year-old winger has scored eight tries in just three games, topping the try scoring charts. That is an outstanding record, averaging 2.67 tries per game in an England shirt and at such a young age.

Young is 6^th in the charts for leading points scorers in the competition, and he doesn’t convert any tries off the boot. He has lit up the world cup so far with some sparkling performances on the wing, and has also joined the exclusive club, of being one of few players that have scored four tries in one game, in an England test match.

The youngster has been much more involved than just scoring tries however. Averaging 209.7 metres per game, he has made a big impact off kick returns, whilst also keeping a cool head defensively. His huge 6ft 7in frame helps when it comes to picking kicks out of the air.

Young was born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. However, despite being of Jamaican descent, he chose to play for the country he grew up playing rugby in, being a star product of the Huddersfield Giants academy system.

In 2019, Young made his senior and Super League debut for the Giants at the age of 17. He only made two appearances in that season, failing to break into the first team. Remember he was only 17 so to make his debut at that age was a huge achievement.

He continued to develop in the youth squad and seriously impressed. So much so that he attracted the attention of NRL club, Newcastle Knights in Australia. In 2020, it was announced that he had signed a three-year contract with the Knights to start in 2021.

It took just three rounds of the 2021 season in Australia for Young to make his debut. He went on to make six appearances that season, scoring four tries in the process. He was then set to represent Jamaica in the World Cup, but the tournament was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2022, Young became a regular starter for the Knights, playing a further 20 matches and scoring a 14 more tries which attracted the attention of England coach, Shaun Wane. Young pledged his allegiance to England, which now looks like a huge coup for the country.

Young has now scored 26 tries in 31 senior appearances for club and country and looks like a serious prospect for rugby league. The sky is the limit for the youngster who should only improve with age, despite his already sparkling talent.

Whilst England as a whole have looked fantastic so far in the tournament, it is Young that everyone will have their eyes on heading into the quarter-finals and beyond and Wane will be desperate to have him at his disposal for all of their remaining games.

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