How close is Christian Wade to Chris Ashton's all-time Gallagher Premiership try record after latest hat-trick?
Updated 29/03/2025 at 20:30 GMT
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Chris Ashton remains the top try scorer in Gallagher Premiership history, but he will be looking over his shoulder as Christian Wade speeds towards him. The Gloucester wing moved closer to the record with a clinical hat-trick against Sale, his seventh in the competition - one more than Ashton. Wade is now bearing down on Tom Varndell and Mark Cueto on the list of all-time try scorers.
'Ashy, what's up my dude!' - Wade shouts out Ashton as he closes on try record
Video credit: TNT Sports
Christian Wade is edging closer to the record for most tries in Gallagher Premiership history.
The Gloucester wing took his tally to 89 with a superb hat-trick in Saturday's 53-28 win over Bristol Bears.
Wade is now out in front as the player with the most Premiership hat-tricks, taking his tally to seven, one ahead of Chris Ashton.
But where does the prolific 33-year-old rank on the all-time tries list? And, as highlighted on TNT Sports' coverage of Saturday's action, how far away is he from the very top?
| Player | Premiership tries |
| Chris Ashton | 101 |
| Tom Varndell | 92 |
| Mark Cueto | 90 |
| Christian Wade | 89 |
| Danny Care | 85 |
Ashton remains the only player to have reached a century of tries. Wade is now 11 away from hitting that landmark, and 13 from surpassing the current leader.
Wade will expect to overtake both Varndell - who scored his tries with Leicester, Wasps and Bristol - and Cueto, a one-club man with Sale.
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‘Extraordinary rugby’ – Wade sets new Prem hat-trick record with stunning solo score
Video credit: TNT Sports
Behind Wade is TNT Sports expert Danny Care on 85, with almost two decades at Harlequins under his belt.
Jonny May and Mike Brown are the only other remaining active players in contention.
But Wade will likely have the record in his sights after another spectacular performance for Gloucester. He completed his latest hat-trick with a perfectly weighted kick and explosive run down the right flank.
Asked about his record seventh hat-trick and moving above Ashton, Wade told TNT Sports: "He's still got the bragging rights for all-time top try scorer, but I'm happy with that [number of hat-tricks]."
His try tally is made all the more impressive by his six-year absence from rugby union to play American Football in the NFL with Buffalo Bills.
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And he claimed last year that the Premiership record was a target.
"It is in my sights and I obviously want to go for it," Wade told the Rugby Union Weekly. "I am not thinking about it now. Once I get closer then it’s like 'I've one or two more to go'.
"People always ask me about the tries and I've never really focused on them too much.
"There were probably two years when I was playing with Tom Varndell, who was always like 'tries, tries, tries'. And we were competing against each other.
"I just think you have to let it happen and if it happens, it happens."
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