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Pioneers of Rugby in Wellington 076: David “Tim” Mason

David Frank Mason’s rugby career shone brightly but fleetingly in the two years immediately after the second war.

He quickly rose to prominence, all the way to the All Blacks for one tour and one test match (as a replacement), before his work in insurance transferred him to South Africa later that same year in 1947 and he stayed there the rest of his life.

Mason was born in Wellington on 23 November 1923 and attended Wellington College from the late 1930s.

He also went by his nickname “Tim” and he was known as Tim Mason not David Mason.

Mason was a five-eighths or wing, the latter position where he played the majority of his 14 first-class matches for New Zealand sides before heading to South Africa and subsequently briefly playing first-class rugby for Western Province before injuries ended his career.

In his third and final year in his First XV in 1941, Mason helped Wellington College to a 12-0 win over St Pat’s Town and a 3-3 draw with St Pat’s Silverstream. They won that year’s Quadrangular Tournament with a 15-0 win over Nelson College and a 5-6 loss to Christ’s College (other results going their way).

He left school and joined the Wellington College Old Boys club and played second-five in club rugby for them. He also served in the Air Force in the Solomon Islands over the latter part of the war.

WCOB were in the Hardham Cup both years he played represeantive rugby under their banner in 1946 and 1947.

WCOB 1947 – DF Mason circled.

He made two appearances for the Wellington representative team in 1946. One of these was against Canterbury on 28 September, scoring one of five tries in a 21-9 win at Athletic Park.

The other was in Wellington’s match against the touring Australians at the same venue on 15 September 1946 – and he lined up at second-five for Wellington that day.  Interestingly, the Wallaby midfielder that Mason marked that day, J.W.T MacBride, played on the wing for Australia in the same test that Mason would play. It would be a good story if they marked each other, but it seems both were on the left wing so didn’t directly face each other.

In 1946 he also played in several matches for the Wellington B team side and also for a Wellington XV team, against Manawatu where he scored a try in a 10-11 loss.

The All Blacks held trials in mid-May 1947 ahead of their tour to Australia, which took place throughout June.

Mason must have been running red-hot in club rugby or someone strongly favoured him (Jack Lamason was his WCOB coach) because the lightly raced second-five turned wing trialled in two of these matches and was selected for the tour as a wing three-quarter as WCOB’s eighth All Black.

He scored a try on his All Blacks debut on 7 June 1947, but the All Blacks lost this match 12-9. He would play other tour matches against Queensland, NSW (again) and against combined Northern.

He watched on as the All Blacks won the first of two tests in Brisbane 13-5, before taking his place on the reserves bench for the second test in Sydney on 28 June.

The global governing body of the time now known as World Rugby didn’t allow replacements in test matches, but New Zealand and Australia mutually agreed to waive that in this series. So, when starting left wing Wally Argus of Canterbury and formerly of the famous touring ‘Kiwis’ team departed the field late in the first half Mason entered test rugby.

It was a close test throughout and at one point early in the second half the Wallabies drew level at 11-11. But a late flurry which included Mason’s match-clinching try with just a few minutes to play gave the All Blacks a 27-14 win.

The All Blacks in 1947 – David Mason circled.

Mason returned to New Zealand and played another two first-class matches for Wellington in 1947.

One of these was against Canterbury on 9 August, scoring a try on the wing and Wellington’s only points in a 3-8 loss. The report of this match in the Press newspaper said that “from Wellington’s viewpoint, it was a tragedy that play did not swing to Mason’s wing. The All Black had everything that other backs lacked – speed off the mark, enterprise and ability, but had very few chances.”

Mason was part of a talented family. Other family members were also well-known in sport and pursuits of the mind; Mason’s older brother was the was the celebrated playwright and co-founder of Downstage Theatre in Wellington, Bruce Mason.

Mason worked as an insurance executive for New Zealand Insurance, who transferred him to Cape Town and he left in late 1947 never to return to live in New Zealand.

He played twice for Western Province in 1950.

He passed away in Johannesburg on 3 July 1981, aged 57.

References:

  • Akers, Clive. New Zealand Rugby Register 1870-2015. New Zealand Rugby Museum, 2016.
  • Beasley A.W. The Light Accepted. 125 Years of Wellington College. BOT of Wellington College, Wellington 1992.
  • Chester, Rod, Palenski, Ron, McMillan, Neville. Men in Black Commemorative 20th Century Addition, Moa Beckett, 2000, Auckland.
  • The Press various newspaper reports – 1947.
  • Swan, Arthur C.; Jackson, Gordon F. W. (1952). Wellington’s Rugby History 1870 – 1950. Wellington, New Zealand: A. H. & A. W. Reed
  • Wellington College Old Boys Football Club. Golden Jubilee 1898-1948 Souvenir Booklet.
  • Headline photo shot: F. Mason. Crown Studios Ltd :Negatives and prints. Ref: 1/2-202972-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22509777

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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