Chris Ashton : biography
International
Ashton was selected for the 2004 Academy Origin Series and the 2004 victorious England Academy U-18s tour to Australia.
Although some criticisms were made about his defensive abilities, he earned a call into the England squad at the end of 2006 whilst Great Britain were on tour in Australia and New Zealand. Ashton made his England debut against France on 22 October 2006 in the Federation Shield tournament. He played in all four Federation Shield matches, which concluded with England winning the competition, and he scored three tries in his four games.
Club statistics
DQ= Club did not qualify
NA= Club was not eligible for tournament
Club | Season | League | Challenge Cup | Heineken Cup | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Tries | Apps | Tries | Apps | Tries | ||
Wigan Warriors | 2005 Super League X | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | NA | NA |
2006 Super League XI | 26 | 13 | 2 | 1 | NA | NA | |
2007 Super League XII | 19 | 10 | 3 | 2 | NA | NA | |
Northampton Saints | National Division One 2007-08 | 25 | 39 | NA | NA | DQ | DQ |
Premiership 2008-09 | 9 | 1 | NA | NA | DQ | DQ | |
Premiership 2009-10 | 20 | 16 | NA | NA | 6 | 6 | |
Premiership 2010-11 | 12 | 10 | NA | NA | 7 | 1 |
International statistics
NH= Tournament not held
Team | Year | Six Nations | Other | World Cup | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps+Subs | Tries | Apps+Subs | Tries | Apps+Subs | Tries | Apps+Subs | Tries | ||
England rugby league | 2006 | NA | NA | 4+0 | 3 | NA | NA | 4+0 | 3 |
2007 | NA | NA | 0 | 0 | NA | NA | 0 | 0 | |
England rugby union | 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NH | NH | 0 | 0 |
2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NH | NH | 0 | 0 | |
2010 | 1+0 | 0 | 6+0 | 3 | NH | NH | 7+0 | 3 | |
2011 | 5+0 | 6 | 5+0 | 6 | 10+0 | 12 |
Rugby union career
Northampton Saints
On 19 March 2007 it was announced that Ashton had signed to play rugby union for Northampton Saints. Wigan granted Ashton an early release from his contract, freeing him to complete his cross-code move.
On 1 September 2007, he made his debut for Northampton at Franklin’s Gardens as a late substitute for Will Harries against London Welsh in National Division One. He scored his first try for the club, with his first touch of the ball, in the same game which Saints won 44–11.
The following week he scored on his debut for Northampton’s second team, Northampton Wanderers. and a substitute scoring appearance against Moseley.
In 2008, Ashton broke the National Division One try scorer record, scoring 39 tries (and one conversion) from only 25 appearances.
Despite a relatively disappointing 2008–09 season, with many appearances in the Wanderers and struggling to make it into the first team as a regular fixture, in the 2009–10 season Ashton embarked on a run of form that brought 15 tries in 16 games in all competitions including Heineken Cup efforts against Munster and Perpignan.