Chris Ashton facts for kids
Ashton in 2015
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Personal information
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| Born | Christopher John Ashton 29 March 1987 Wigan, England |
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| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 92 kg (14 st 7 lb; 203 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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| Position | Wing, Fullback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby career
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| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Christopher John Ashton (born 29 March 1987) is a famous English rugby player. He played both rugby union and rugby league. This makes him one of the few players to have played for England in both types of rugby. Chris Ashton usually played as a wing or fullback. He retired from playing in 2023.
Contents
About Chris Ashton
Chris Ashton started his career playing rugby league for Wigan Warriors. He also played for the England team in 2006 and 2007. Later, he switched to rugby union. He played for several top clubs like Northampton Saints, Saracens, and Leicester Tigers. He also played for the England rugby union team. Chris Ashton is known for being the first player to score 100 tries in Premiership Rugby.
Rugby League Career
Playing for Wigan Warriors
Chris Ashton played as a fullback or wing for Wigan Warriors. He joined their youth program in 2003. He played his first senior game for Wigan in 2005. In that game, he scored two tries, helping his team win.
In 2006, Chris became a key player for Wigan. He was one of their most consistent players. He scored 15 tries in 29 games, making him Wigan's top try scorer that year. In 2007, he was given the number 1 shirt, which is a special jersey for a fullback. Overall, Chris Ashton played 52 games for Wigan and scored 28 tries.
Playing for England (Rugby League)
Chris Ashton also played for the England Academy team when he was younger. In 2006, he was called up to the senior England squad. He made his debut against France in October 2006. He played in four games for England and scored three tries. England won the Federation Shield tournament that year.
Rugby Union Career
Playing for Clubs
Northampton Saints
In March 2007, Chris Ashton decided to switch to rugby union. He signed with Northampton Saints. He played his first game for Northampton in September 2007. He scored his first try for the club with his very first touch of the ball.
In 2008, Chris set a new record for tries in the National Division One league. He scored 39 tries in just 25 games. In the 2009–10 season, he continued his great form. He scored 15 tries in 16 games. Because of his excellent performance, Chris Ashton was named the Premiership Player of the Season for 2009–10. In January 2012, he announced he would be moving to Saracens.
Saracens
Chris Ashton joined Saracens for the 2012–13 season. He scored two tries in his first game for Saracens, helping them win 40–3. Saracens finished at the top of the league that season. However, they lost in the semi-finals to Northampton. Chris scored 6 tries that season.
In the 2013–14 season, Saracens again finished first in the regular season. They reached the final but lost to Northampton. Chris scored 8 tries that season. In the 2014–15 season, Saracens won the Premiership title. Chris Ashton was a key player, scoring 13 tries. His strong play led to him being called up to the England training squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Chris helped Saracens win the Premiership title again in 2015-16. They also won the European Rugby Champions Cup that year. In 2016-17, Saracens won the European Rugby Champions Cup once more. Chris scored a try in the final game.
Toulon
In October 2016, Chris Ashton signed with the French club Toulon. He played one season in France, in the Top 14 league. He scored 24 tries in 23 games, which broke the league's try-scoring record.
Sale Sharks
Chris Ashton returned to England in July 2018 to play for Sale Sharks. He played for Sale until March 2020.
Harlequins
After leaving Sale Sharks, Chris Ashton joined Harlequins in March 2020. The team's head of rugby praised him as a very competitive and dedicated player.
Worcester Warriors
In January 2021, Chris Ashton moved to Worcester Warriors. He played for them until December 2021.
Leicester Tigers
Chris Ashton joined Leicester Tigers in February 2022. He made his debut against his old club, Northampton Saints. He scored his first try for Leicester in March 2022. Later that month, he scored two tries against Exeter Chiefs, tying the Premiership Rugby try-scoring record.
On April 30, 2022, Chris scored three tries against Bristol Bears. This made him the record holder for most tries in Premiership Rugby, with 95 tries. Chris Ashton helped Leicester Tigers win the 2022 Premiership Rugby final against Saracens. On April 16, 2023, he became the first player to score 100 tries in Premiership Rugby. He scored a hat trick against Exeter Chiefs, bringing his total to 101. He announced his retirement at the end of that season.
Playing for England (Rugby Union)
Chris Ashton was called up to the England squad in 2010. He made his England debut against France in March 2010. He scored his first international try against Australia in June 2010. In November 2010, he scored two tries as England beat Australia 35–18.
In the 2011 Six Nations Championship, Chris scored two tries against Wales. The next week, he scored four tries against Italy. This made him the first player to score four tries in a single Six Nations match. He often celebrated his tries with a special "swallow dive" called the 'Ash Splash'.
Chris Ashton played for England in the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He was the joint leading try-scorer in the tournament with six tries. He continued to play regularly for England until 2014. After a break, he was called back to the England squad in November 2018. He played his first England game in four years against South Africa.
Career Honours
Chris Ashton won many awards and championships during his career.
Northampton Saints
- European Challenge Cup Champion: 2008–09
- Anglo-Welsh Cup Champion: 2009–10
- RFU Championship Champion: 2007–08
Saracens
- Premiership Rugby Champion (2): 2014–15, 2015–16
- European Rugby Champions Cup Champion (2): 2015–16, 2016–17
Sale Sharks
- Premiership Rugby Cup Champion: 2019–20
Leicester Tigers
- Premiership Rugby Champion: 2021-2022
England
- Six Nations Championship Champion (1): 2011
- Calcutta Cup Champion (3): 2011, 2012, 2013
- Triple Crown Champion (1): 2014
Playing Style
Chris Ashton was known for his excellent support play. This means he was very good at running to be in the right place to receive the ball and score. He learned this skill from his time playing rugby league. This was a big reason why he scored so many tries.
Another important skill Chris had was his speed. He showed this when he scored a 90-meter try against Australia in 2010. He outran some of Australia's fastest players. When Chris scored, he often did a special "swallow dive" celebration. People called it the 'Ash splash'.
Images for kids
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Ashton in 2015
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Chris Ashton in January 2014
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Ashton during 2011 RWC
See also
In Spanish: Chris Ashton para niños
