AG Signs Australian Flyhalf Mack Mason

AUSTIN, TX (December 2, 2020) Austin Gilgronis is delighted to announce the signing of Australian flyhalf, Mack Mason. Mason is one of the premier young halfbacks in all of Australia and a huge get for the AG’s playmaker unit.

Just a season ago, Mack Mason made his Super Rugby debut at flyhalf for the Waratahs. His trajectory for the Wallabies #10 jersey is well-documented and comparisons to Bernard Foley many. Mason spent four years in the Waratahs system and values all the experience he gained in New South Wales.

This summer, Mack Mason opted for a different rugby experience than that that may have been charted for him since he was a schoolboy prodigy. 

Mason signs with Austin Gilgronis and the club’s two newest coaches, Australian rugby legends: Sam Harris and Mark Gerrard. “Mack is a player that has so much to offer,” says Sam Harris. “He’s a good hard country boy that has a very rounded game, a true triple threat, very proficient option whether run, pass, and kick. Mack was on a trajectory to the Wallabies; fortunately for the AGs, Mack slipped through the cracks a bit. Mack is a quality player that is primed to light up the MLR.”

This coming January, Mack Mason will ship off to the United States for the first time in his life and looks primed to be a real star in Major League Rugby. “This is a fresh start for me, for the last two years with the Waratahs it felt a bit like they didn’t really want me and I stuck around and earned a couple shots just to prove a point,” says Mack Mason. “I feel really fortunate to get that call from Sam Harris and sign with the AGs because at the end of the day I just want to win a comp.”

The Road Less Traveled By

Breaking the mold is nothing new for Mason, he grew up 115 kilometers from the nearest town in Australia. A country boy through and through, Mason knew from a young age that not many kids from the Australian countryside go on to enjoy professional sporting careers. He praises his parents’ sacrifices for making the long drives to training and up to 400km hauls to play in matches on the weekend as a youth rugby player. 

One of the more attractive elements of the club for Mack Mason was the fresh fingerprints of the AG ownership. New coaches, new staff, new colors, new logo, and a fairly new roster. “There’s something really refreshing about building a team from the ground up, and that’s what Sam Harris got into on the first call. He called while I was working on my farm and he just got me really excited about where the AGs are going,” says Mason. “I think the part that got me was Sam mentioning the winning culture they’re trying to build and yea just all the fun this team is going to have.”

Deep Flyhalf Stable

Mason is assuredly one of the headline signings of the offseason, but the flyhalf position is not going to be cakewalk for the young phenom. Mason will compete for the #10  jersey each week with USA Eagles fly half Will Magie and Tongan international, Kurt Morath. “One thing is for sure, it will be a humdinger of a battle for that coveted 10 jersey all year,” teases AGs head coach Sam Harris. “Flyhalf is a vital position, you can never have too much cover in that spot.” 

The Aussie flyhalf is no stranger to a position battle after competing with Wallaby legend Bernard Foley for the last four years.  “I’m a very competitive person, one big thing I learned from Bernard Foley is it can be a healthy competition, it doesn’t have to be nasty,” says Mason. “We can coach each other up because we’re all going to bring something different.”

He has also been watching the MLR for some time. He’s familiar with not only the AG players but many of the players across the league. In fact, one of the main attractions for him was the sudden rise in the level of play in the league from 2018-2020.

Mack Mason is eager to get into coaching when he gets over to the United States and hopes to spend some of his off-time in some sort of coaching role. He is nervously excited about the challenge of living in a new country and experiencing a new culture but feels confident that he’ll adapt and help the AGs win in 2021.

Welcome to the AGs, Mack Mason!