A celebration of the life of Chunky Young...no jokes

Next week Friday will be the first of the legendary Pirates Sportsman’s lunches without the equally legendary Rev Chunky Young who passed away two months ago. After Steve Braham, usually the MC at the lunches because he cost Pirates nothing and is a member, Chunky would be called up to say grace.

Before grace was said, though, Chunky would tell a joke.

Chunky was an academic doctor, a wise and holy man, but, hell, could he tell the most ribald and unholy of jokes. It would always set the tone for the afternoon for a lunch that was destined to be long and liquid.

Those lunches have seen the likes of Nick Mallett, Sean Fitzpatrick, Butch James, Hugh Bladen, and even comedian Mark Banks take a turn.

Banks began his show by walking out the door, perhaps as a small nod to the laughs Chunky had got.

The lunch will be for Chunky, who meant so much to so many at Pirates. He married some of the members here and, I am sure, probably buried a few.

He counselled some and drank with as many as he could. Chunky was that sort, the irreverent reverend and a good man.

There was a time when my wife and I were considering asking him marry us, a celebration that took place two months ago at the Radium Beer Hall. Well, celebration is too timid a word for what took place.

A rock * roll party of a wedding that we never wanted to end, and is not ending.

Next week, Stefan Terblanche and James Small, two of South Africa’s great Springbok wings will be speaking at the lunch, which will be a ‘Tribute and Celebration to the late Chunky Young’. Small is a member at Pirates and involved in coaching rugby. Terblanche will want to bring his drinking shoes. Pirates on a Friday is no place for the timid.

Last week Friday was no place for the timid as I watched my nephew, Breandan, play for CBC Boksburg, my old school, and win the Under-16 Pirates Challenge trophy. He was probably the first McCallum to play rugby at Pirates in what will be one of the last matches he will play in South Africa.

I don’t quite remember what the score was, but they gave Bryanston High one hell of a working over.

There were flashpoints, some handbags, a few fists thrown and then tears. It was a belter of a match.

And after the tears a few beers. This week marks a year since my brother, Brian, passed away. Time has eased a lot of the pain of that loss. There will be beers raised for him and Chunky in the coming days.

*To book for the Pirates-Chunky Tribute lunch, contact Steve on 0832651268 or [email protected]. All money raised will go to St Columba’s Church and Pirates Rugby Club. - The Star