Shute Shield Battle of the Beaches: How Warringah snared Mungo Mason
How exactly did a water-polo loving rugby nomad with a law degree and a dream of playing for an African team find himself in the thick of it with a club on Sydney’s northern beaches.
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About the only country Mungo Mason can’t compete for on the international rugby stages is the one he is currently playing in.
The star Warringah recruit for the 2020 Shute Shield was born in Scotland, grew up in New Zealand, has a Zimbabwean father, Irish mother and English and South African grandfathers.
But he also has an Aussie mate he played with in Scotland which is how he ended up with the Warringah Rats this season.
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“Me and Charlie McKill played sevens together in Scotland – we were the only Southern Hemisphere guys okaying and we became goods mates,” said Mason, who has a degree in law and international business and is now working on the northern beaches.
“Then earlier this year I was in Washington in the Major League Rugby and it got cancelled which was a pity.
“I shot back to Melbourne and then Charlie said come and play some rugby at Warringah. I said righto and the rest is history.”
It’s also good luck for Warringah with Mason now an integral part of a team fighting to replicate last seasons feat in making the season decider.
“I have landed on my feet. I am very happy with how it worked out. I love the beaches and playing rugby with my mates,” he said.
While Mason was in the Scottish sevens program he did not debut for the country of his birth who has kept doors open in rugby.
“It’s a bit far fetched but I have been thinking how cool it would be to play for Zimbabwe and try and help them qualify or the World Cup in 2023,” he said.
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“It’s a long shot but a little closer to the time I will head over there and see what happens.”
But for this season at least Mason is staying put.
On Saturday Manly will host the local northern beaches derby at Manly Oval at 3.10pm.