England centurian Ben Youngs has been playing at his very best for club and country season, and now the scrum-half has revealed his motivation in an interview with the Mail Online.
The 32-year-old revealed he is driven by a desire to alleviate the pain and heartache of older brother Tom, who is on indefinite leave from Tigers duties to care for his seriously ill wife, Tiffany.
Ex-England hooker Youngs’ partner was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2014 before three years after she appeared to have recovered.
However, it was confirmed in October that Tom has been given indefinite leave from Leicester Tigers as his wife battles the returning illness.
Ben revealed what made him determined to keep playing: “The family, I guess. It has been a tough time and it continues to be a tough time.
“My responsibility is to try and bring some joy. That’s a pretty easy motivation for me. I want to be able to do that.
Tom Youngs played for England 28 times between 2012 and 2015, including at the 2015 World Cup.
He also played all three Test matches for the British & Irish Lions on their 2013 tour to Australia.