Born: April 21, 1886 - Tauranga
Died: April 10, 1973 - Auckland
Test record: 1 Test (1910) - 0 points
Tours: 1911 tour of Australia
The younger brother of revered dual international Albert 'Opai' Asher, Te Keepa Pouwhiuwhiu - more commonly known as Ernie Asher - played alongside him in several landmark matches and tours for New Zealand and New Zealand Māori.
A rugby union player for Tauranga and Ponsonby, Ernie switched codes along with Albert and embarked on the historic 1908 Māori tour of Australia.
Playing 10 matches at wing and centre, he scored three tries - including in the tour opener against NSW and in the clash with Australia.
Asher dotted down four times in nine matches on the 1909 Māori tour of Australia, scoring in the dual wins over NSW in the opening two matches of the trip.
Joining the City Rovers club in 1910, Asher made another journey across the Tasman as one of two New Zealanders - along with Riki Papakura - who played in two matches for an Australasian combination against Jim Lomas' Northern Union team. Australasia earned a 13-all draw and a 32-15 win in front of 50,000-strong crowds in Sydney.
Ernie then played on the wing in New Zealand Māori's 29-0 loss to Northern Union in Nelson and partnered Albert in the centres in New Zealand's 52-20 defeat in the one-off Test in Auckland.
He played five matches at fullback and wing on New Zealand's 1911 tour of Australia.
Asher played for City Rovers until 1916 and later had an esteemed administrative career in rugby league, serving on the NZRL board between 1932 and 1968, and as secretary of the New Zealand Māori Rugby League.