Simon Mason (rugby union)

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Simon Mason
Full nameSimon John Mason
Date of birth (1973-10-22) 22 October 1973 (age 50)
Place of birth Wirral, England
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight200 lb (91 kg)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fullback
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1996 Ireland 3 (42)

Simon John Mason (born 22 October 1973) is an English-born former Ireland rugby union international.

Contents

Mason was born and raised in Wirral but has Irish grandparents, thus qualifying for Ireland. [1] He attended St Anselm's College in Birkenhead, where he was a teammate of future England player Austin Healey. [2]

A fullback, Mason was capped three times for Ireland in 1996, for two Five Nations matches and then the country's first ever Test loss to Samoa. He was one of eight Irish players to be dropped following the Samoa match. [3]

Mason played Premiership Rugby for Richmond in 1997–98, then had two seasons at Ulster. He won the 1999 Heineken Cup title with Ulster and accumulated 144 points during the campaign, going on to be named Ulster's "Player of the Year". [4]

Following his time in Northern Ireland, Mason signed a three-year contract with Stade Français in the Top 14, but left after one season. [5] He spent the next three seasons in Italy playing for Treviso. [6]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Mason's kicks give Orrell edge". The Daily Telegraph . 13 November 1995.
  2. ↑ "'My wife's going to burn my boots': Ulster's European Cup hero Simon Mason still loving rugby at 46". Belfast Telegraph . 12 May 2020.
  3. ↑ "The Last Amateurs: Why Simon Mason felt right at home with Ulster before inspiring European Cup glory". Belfast Telegraph. 7 November 2018.
  4. ↑ "Awards: Eddie on pole at the Europa". Belfast Telegraph. 7 December 1999.
  5. ↑ Coughlan, Barry (12 December 2003). "Mason expecting no Thomond cheer". Irish Examiner .
  6. ↑ "Italian club with designs on major result". The Irish Times . 16 January 2010.
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