No chance of tour: Ashworth

Press, 29 August 1979, Page 38

No chance of tour: Ashworth

By KEVIN McMENAMIN One leading Canterbury rugby player who will not be making the All Black tour to England and Scotland later this year is John Ashworth.

Ashworth, an All Black to Britain last year and one of the props in the New Zealand XV to play the Pumas on Saturday week, said yesterday that there was no possibility of his being available to tour overseas this year. He is enlarging his farm at Sefton, and this work, coupled with the time of the year that the tour will take place, makes it impossible for him to get away. “As well as preparing new pastures, there is late lambing and I also hope to have another season at the Kaiapoi freezing works,” he said. Earlier this winter, Ashworth was doubtful if his work would allow him to complete the season with Canterbury, but he said yesterday that he was

confident he would be able to play the full season. “But taking a couple of months off for an overseas tour is out of the question,” he said. Ashworth, who is 28, said he would definitely be playing club football nc-xt winter, but he would wait and see before deciding on his availability for first-class matches. “It will depend on how well organised I am,” he added.

Ashworth would have had a good chance of going to Britain again. With only three props likely in the party of 25, the selectors will be very anxious to have at least one who can occupy either side of the scrum.

Although a specialist loosehead, Ashworth twice filled in on the tighthead side in Britain last year and it was in this role, against Monmouthshire, that he had his best game of the tour. In fact, seldom has he played better in a career spanning nine season and almost 70 games for Canterbury.