Tiffany Youngs, the wife of former England and Lions rugby star Tom Youngs, has died after a long and “heroic battle” with cancer. She has passed away some six weeks after ex-Leicester captain Tom, 35, retired from the sport to return to Norfolk to care for her.
Tiffany was first diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma - a form of blood cancer - in 2014 and was given a terminal diagnosis. Four years later, she was told she was in remission.
However, her cancer then returned, resulting in Tom initially taking indefinite leave from rugby in October 2021, before later announcing his retirement from the sport this year.
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In a statement today, his former club said: “Leicester Tigers are deeply saddened by the news that Tiffany Youngs has passed away after her heroic battle with illness. On behalf of everybody at the club, we send our condolences to the Youngs and Sands families. The club will be providing no further details and asks that the Youngs and Sands families have their privacy respected at this time.”
Following the news, many fellow Premiership clubs tweeted the Tigers to pass on their condolences, including Northampton who wrote: “Such terribly sad news. The thoughts of all at Saints are with the Youngs and Sands families, as well as their many friends at Leicester Tigers.”
The Barbarians tweeted: "Terribly sad news. Our thoughts go out to the Youngs family. An inspirational lady. Rest in peace Tiffany." And the British & Irish Lions posted: "We are saddened to learn of Tiffany Youngs' passing. Sending our condolences to the Youngs and Sands families."
Tiffany leaves a young daughter, Maisie, who was born just before her cancer diagnosis. Speaking to ITV News Anglia in 2018, she said the hardest part of the whole journey was having to tell her daughter that “mummy was going to heaven”.
Hooker Tom won 28 caps for England and went on the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia in 2013, playing in all three Tests against the Wallabies. His scrum-half brother Ben, now England’s most capped player, withdrew from the 2017 Lions tour to New Zealand following his sister-in-law’s cancer diagnosis.
