Winger Chris Ashton has left Sale Sharks with immediate effect and by mutual consent according to the club.
A brief statement from the club this morning read:
“Sale Sharks can today announce that Chris Ashton will leave the club with immediate effect.
PLAYER NEWS | Chris Ashton to leave Sale Sharks with immediate effect.
Read more here 👉 https://t.co/ZRNMbXlnEL#SharkTime | @Boll_insurance pic.twitter.com/Da7H0mYBcb— Sale Sharks 🦈 (@SaleSharksRugby) March 2, 2020
“The club and Chris have reached a mutual agreement regarding the termination of his Sale Sharks contract and he will leave the club immediately.
“Sale Sharks would like to thank Chris for his efforts whilst at the club and wish him and his family all the best for the future.”
Ashton signed for Sale Sharks in 2018 having spent the previous three seasons in France with Toulon. Sale currently sit second in the Gallagher Premiership just five points behind leaders Exeter.
Ashton has scored 10 tries in 13 appearances for Sale, four of them this season.
Ash-Splash
Chris Ashton made his name playing rugby league, making 72 appearances for the Wigan Warriors in Super League, amassing 120 points, between 2005 and 2007. He also represented England four times, scoring three tries.
Ashton converted to the 15 man code when he joined Northampton Saints in 2007, initially spending a season in National One before sampling Premiership Rugby.
In 2012, Ashton moved to Saracens, scoring 46 tries in 105 games being a major contribution to the success of the North London club.
Ashton's 39 England caps, is a scant return for his try-scoring exploits at club level but he has courted controversy in the past.
The famous "Ash-Splash" try scoring technique is worthy when going from under your own sticks in Twickenham against Australia, not so much when running up a cricket score against Georgia.
There have been plenty of controversial chapters in the book of Ashton's rugby career to date, it remains to be seen if Sale will be the final one.
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