Jason coming to dinner
Last updated 20:05, Thursday, 16 October 2008
RUGBY union legend Jason Robinson is coming to Cumbria to support former Aspatria and England star Steven Hanley in his testimonial year.
Robinson will be the main guest at a dinner in the Shepherd’s Inn, Carlisle, on March 27.
He and fellow British Lion Doddie Weir will do a question and answer session with the audience and the whole proceedings will be in the more-than-capable hands of West Cumbrian-based MC Howard Nicholson.
The selling of tables will begin next week.
Special guest and former Sale Sharks team-mate Robinson said: “It was a pleasure to play in the same team as Steve. He is a great lad and, as his statistics show, one of the best finishers in the game.”
Hanley is being forced to retire from playing because of a back injury sustained in a European Challenge Cup game against Bayonne last season.
Hanley joined Sale Sharks in 1998 from Aspatria and made his debut against Cardiff. Hanley played 191 games for Sale Sharks, scoring 104 tries including a record of 75 in the Premiership, which still stands.
Hanley also played for England in 1999 against Wales, scoring a try in the process.
Looking back at his playing career, Hanley said: “Helping Sale to its first piece of silverware in 2002, by beating Pontypridd, was very special.
“I have however been struggling with a disc problem in my back since the Bayonne game and have received medical advice that I will not recover enough to play Premiership rugby again.”
He has now moved into the corporate side of things with Sale.
