Huddersfield Giants’ Ashton Golding looking to brew up success story, on and off the pitch

SPORT and catering are two of the sectors hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic, so starting a new venture in just one of those would be a challenge, but Huddersfield Giants full-back Ashton Golding has no fears about taking on twice the risk.
Ashton Golding playing for Featherstone Rovers last season. Picture: Vaughn Ridley/SWpix.comAshton Golding playing for Featherstone Rovers last season. Picture: Vaughn Ridley/SWpix.com
Ashton Golding playing for Featherstone Rovers last season. Picture: Vaughn Ridley/SWpix.com

The 23-year-old Jamaican international, who joined Huddersfield from his home city club Leeds last autumn, has a reputation as one of the most upbeat characters in rugby league.

That positivity has been tested over the past six months, beginning when Golding suffered a hamstring injury in the final few days of pre-season, but light has now appeared at the end of a lengthy tunnel.

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He has yet to make his debut, but Golding’s first appearance for Huddersfield could come on August 2 when Giants recommence their Super League campaign, ironically against Leeds.

Having recovered from his January setback, Golding was among the Giants players who began training last weekend and that has meant some long days as he has combines rugby with a new catering business, Haus of Coffee, in Horsforth, near Leeds, which, by a quirk of timing, is set to open its doors next week.

“It has been really stressful,” admitted Golding of his two full-time jobs.

“At the moment I am getting to training, doing my work, coming to the shop, working there; go home for 9pm and repeat the process the next day.

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“But it will be worth it – it is something I am really passionate about.”

Giants were the first team back in training following the coronavirus shutdown. The other teams due to play in 16 days’ time, including Hull KR and Leeds, are also back at work and for Golding, despite his heavy workload, a return to something like normality could not come soon enough.

“It has been a long time and for me personally, even longer,” reflected the full-back, who was a member of the Featherstone Rovers side which lost to Toronto in last year’s Championship Grand Final.

“The general feeling from the boys is just excitement, it is good to be around everyone again and to get that camaraderie back.”

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Giants are at stage two of their three-part return to play protocol.

Golding explained: “Stage one is social distanced bubbles, groups within the big group, training at different times.

“Everything is done a little bit differently, just to make sure it is all safe and by the guidelines.

“Stage two, which we have just moved into now, is a bit more progressive: bigger groups to train with, but still socially distanced, still separate gym groups and everything’s non-contact.

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“There’s still a long way to go before we reach stage three [full training], but it is exciting; we are back, we have done what we’ve had to do to sort ourselves and our families and make sure we’ve got that security there and now we are just ready to go play rugby.

“It has been too long, but we’re all back together again now, having a laugh and getting that brotherhood.

“You build from that, the little things – the coffee shop visits and the standing in a car park two metres away, talking. You build a relationship from that.”

Golding insisted he will be “good to go” when August 2 comes around and he feels Giants have come back to work in good shape.

“The boys are flying,” he said.

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“We have all been working hard away from training because we knew the day was going to come that we’d actually get back on the horse.”

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