Ash Dixon
{{Short description|NZ rugby union player}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Ash Dixon
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| fullname = Ashley Lyonal Dixon
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1988|09|01|df=y}}
| birth_place = Christchurch, New Zealand
| height = {{convert|182|cm|ftin|0|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|102|kg|lb stlb|0|abbr=on}}
| school = Christchurch Boys' High School
| university =
| relatives =
| occupation =
| spouse =
| position = Hooker
| currentclub = Green Rockets Tokatsu
| allblackno =
| allblackid =
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 =
| years1 = 2008–2021
| clubs1 = Hawke's Bay
| apps1 = 111
| points1 = 140
| years2 = 2010–2011
| clubs2 = Auckland
| apps2 = 23
| points2 = 0
| years3 = 2013–2014
| clubs3 = Hurricanes
| apps3 = 15
| points3 = 5
| years4 = 2015–2021
| clubs4 = Highlanders
| apps4 = 100
| points4 = 65
| years5 = 2018
| clubs5 = Panasonic Wild Knights
| apps5 = 4
| points5 = 0
| years6 = 2022–
| clubs6 = Green Rockets Tokatsu
| apps6 = 43
| points6 = 70
| repyears1 = 2007
| repteam1 = New Zealand U19
| repcaps1 = 5
| reppoints1 = 0
| repyears2 = 2008
| repteam2 = New Zealand U20
| repcaps2 = 5
| reppoints2 = 0
| repyears3 = 2013–2021
| repteam3 = Māori All Blacks
| repcaps3 = 19
| reppoints3 = 35
| repyears4 = 2020
| repteam4 = North Island
| repcaps4 = 1
| reppoints4 = 5
| clubupdate = 17 April 2025
| repupdate = 3 July 2021
}}
Ash Dixon (born 1 September 1988) is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a hooker for Green Rockets Tokatsu in the Japan Rugby League One.{{cite web|url=https://green.necrockets.net/member/a_dixon/ | title=Ash Dixon Green Rockets Tokatsu Player Profile | year=2024 | website=NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu|language=japanese|access-date=29 January 2022}} He formerly played for the {{rut|Highlanders}} in Super Rugby and for {{Rut|Hawke's Bay}} in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition.{{cite web|url=https://thehighlanders.co.nz/our-team/player-profiles/4-ash-dixon | title=Ash Dixon Highlanders Player Profile | year=2021 | website=Highlanders|language=en|access-date=8 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212185448/https://thehighlanders.co.nz/our-team/player-profiles/4-ash-dixon|archive-date=12 February 2021|url-status=dead }}{{cite web | url=https://www.sporty.co.nz/magpies/THE-TEAM-1 | title=2021 Magpies Squad | website=Hawke's Bay Rugby Union | language=en | access-date=27 September 2021 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027115906/https://www.sporty.co.nz/magpies/THE-TEAM-1 | archive-date=27 October 2021 | df=dmy-all}} He has also played for the {{rut|Hurricanes}} and {{rut|Auckland}}.{{cite web|url=https://www.hurricanes.co.nz/fan-zone/alumni/player/ash-dixon/ | title=Ash Dixon Hurricanes Player Profile|website=Hurricanes|language=en|access-date=29 January 2022}}{{cite web | url=http://www.aucklandrugby.co.nz/players/0-Ash-Dixon.aspx | title=Ash Dixon Auckland Profile | access-date=12 March 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116195454/http://www.aucklandrugby.co.nz/players/0-Ash-Dixon.aspx | archive-date=16 January 2014 | url-status=dead }}
Early career
Dixon was a 2006 New Zealand Secondary Schools representative and Canterbury age-group rep through to Under-19 level. He has won the 2007 Under 19 Rugby World Championship with the New Zealand Under-19 team as well as the 2008 IRB Junior World Championship with the New Zealand Under-20s.{{cite web|url=http://www.theblues.co.nz/players/0-Ash-Dixon.aspx |title=Ash Dixon Blues Player Profile |access-date=11 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208185609/http://www.theblues.co.nz/players/0-Ash-Dixon.aspx |archive-date=8 February 2011}}
Senior career
Dixon started his career with {{rut|Hawke's Bay}}, playing 21 matches for the province from 2008 to 2009 before shifting north to further his career with {{rut|Auckland}}. The move paid off after he was awarded a wider training group contract with the {{rut|Blues}} for the 2010 Super 14 season. After being a part of the {{Rut|Blues}} Wider Training Group in 2010, Dixon was then promoted to the senior side for the 2011 Super Rugby season, but didn't play for the franchise.
In 2012, Dixon moved back to {{Rut|Hawke's Bay}} ahead of the 2012 ITM Cup season, and some solid displays for the Magpies saw him named in the {{Rut|Hurricanes}} Wider Training Group for the 2013 Super Rugby season.{{cite web|url=http://www.chiefs.co.nz/news/investec-super-rugby-wider-training-groups.html |title=Investec Super Rugby Wider Training Groups named |access-date=10 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121210080135/http://www.chiefs.co.nz/news/investec-super-rugby-wider-training-groups.html |archive-date=10 December 2012 }} He made his Super Rugby debut on 15 March 2013 against the Highlanders. He ended up playing 9 games for the Hurricanes that season and in October 2013, he was named in the Hurricanes squad for the 2014 season.{{cite web | url=https://super.rugby/superrugby/news/hurricanes-name-squad-for-2014-super-rugby/ | title=Hurricanes name squad for 2014 Super Rugby | website=SANZAAR | language=en | date=30 October 2013 | access-date=8 February 2021 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200207100247/https://super.rugby/superrugby/news/hurricanes-name-squad-for-2014-super-rugby/ |archive-date=7 February 2020}}
After two seasons with the Hurricanes, Dixon moved to Dunedin to play for the {{rut|Highlanders}}. He was first named in the Highlanders squad for the 2015 Super Rugby season{{cite press release | url=http://www.thehighlanders.co.nz/our-news/latest-news/629-highlanders-announce-2015-squad | title=Highlanders announce 2015 squad | website=Highlanders | date=29 October 2014 | access-date=8 February 2021 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031180653/http://www.thehighlanders.co.nz/our-news/latest-news/629-highlanders-announce-2015-squad |archive-date=31 October 2014}} and played 7 seasons for the southern franchise. He was part of the Highlanders squad that won the 2015 Super Rugby title, defeating the {{Rut|Hurricanes}} 21–14 in the final.{{cite press release | url=http://thehighlanders.co.nz/news/702-highlanders-team-named-for-2015-super-rugby-final | title=Highlanders team named for 2015 Super Rugby Final | website=Highlanders | language=en | date=2 July 2015 | access-date=12 October 2021 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170604101559/http://thehighlanders.co.nz/news/702-highlanders-team-named-for-2015-super-rugby-final | archive-date=4 June 2017 | df=dmy-all}}{{cite web | url=http://superrugby.co.nz/News/27590/highlanders-superb-in-super-rugby-title-win | title=Highlanders superb in Super Rugby title win | website=allblacks.com | language=en | date=4 July 2015 | access-date=12 October 2021 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125084421/http://superrugby.co.nz/News/27590/highlanders-superb-in-super-rugby-title-win | archive-date=25 January 2016 | df=dmy-all}}
On 12 August 2021, the {{Rut|Highlanders}} announced that Dixon would be leaving the franchise, having played exactly 100 games for them, to take up a two-year contract in Japan. The same day, Japanese club Green Rockets Tokatsu, which competes in the Japan Rugby League One competition, announced that Dixon would be joining the club.{{cite press release | url=https://thehighlanders.co.nz/news/ash-dixon-heading-to-japan/ | title=Ash Dixon heading to Japan | website=Highlanders | date=12 August 2021 | access-date=12 October 2021}}{{cite press release | url=https://green.necrockets.net/news/20210812/ | title=2021－22シーズン新加入選手のお知らせ | website=Green Rockets Tokatsu | date=12 August 2021 | access-date=12 October 2021 | language=Japanese}}
New Zealand Māori
On 25 October 2016, Dixon {{Snds}}who is of Ngāti Tahinga descent{{Snd}}was named Captain of the New Zealand Māori for their Northern hemisphere tour.{{cite web | url=http://www.allblacks.com/News/30023/maori-all-blacks-squad-named-for-northern-tour | title=Maori All Blacks squad named for northern tour | access-date=25 October 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030032105/http://www.allblacks.com/News/30023/maori-all-blacks-squad-named-for-northern-tour | archive-date=30 October 2016 | url-status=dead }} Ahead of their game against Munster in Thomond Park in Limerick, he presented a Māori jersey with the initials of the recently deceased Anthony Foley to Foley's sons.{{cite news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/86393153/New-Zealand-Maori-pay-tribute-to-late-Munster-coach-Anthony-Foley|title=New Zealand Maori pay tribute to late Munster coach Anthony Foley|date=12 November 2016|work=Stuff NZ|access-date=12 November 2016}}
In 2020, Dixon was awarded the Tom French Cup for Māori rugby player of the year.{{cite news | url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/300187041/all-blacks-captain-sam-cane-ends-tough-year-with-top-nz-rugby-award-for-2020 | title=All Blacks captain Sam Cane ends tough year with top NZ Rugby award for 2020 | date=18 December 2020 | work=Stuff.co.nz | access-date=15 January 2021}}
Career honours
Highlanders
Hawke's Bay
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.rugbyhistory.co.nz/player/ashley-lyonal-dixon New Zealand Rugby History profile]
- [http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/player_8476.html Ash Dixon itsrugby.co.uk Player Statistics]
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{{s-ach|aw}}
{{s-bef | before = Sarah Hirini}}
{{s-ttl | title = Tom French Memorial
Māori rugby union player of the year| years=2020}}
{{s-aft | after = Sarah Hirini}}
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{{Green Rockets Tokatsu squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dixon, Ash}}
Category:People educated at Christchurch Boys' High School
Category:New Zealand rugby union players
Category:Rugby union players from Christchurch
Category:Auckland rugby union players
Category:Hurricanes (rugby union) players
Category:Highlanders (rugby union) players
Category:Hawke's Bay rugby union players
Category:Māori All Blacks players
Category:Saitama Wild Knights players
Category:Green Rockets Tokatsu players
Category:New Zealand expatriate rugby union players in Japan