{{short description|NZ international rugby league footballer}} {{other people|Leonard Mason}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2019}} {{Infobox rugby league biography |name = Len Mason |fullname = Leonard Tasman Mason |image = Leonard Mason - Keighley - 1937.jpeg |imagesize = 192 |caption = |birth_date = {{Birth date|1903|09|23|df=y}} |birth_place = Huntly, New Zealand |death_date = {{Death date and age|1953|06|10|1903|09|23|df=y}} |death_place = Hamilton, New Zealand |height = {{convert|6|ft|0|in|m|2|abbr=on|order=flip}} |weight = {{convert|15|st|0|lb|kg|abbr=on}} |position = {{rlp|CE|PR|HK|SR}} |club1 = Unknown (WRL) |club2 = Athletic (ARL) |year2start = 1924 |year2end = 25 |appearances2 = 20 |tries2 = 8 |goals2 = 2 |fieldgoals2 = 0 |points2 = 28 |club3 = Hornby (CRL) |year3start = 1926 |year3end = 27 |appearances3 = 18 |tries3 = 10 |goals3 = 4 |fieldgoals3 = 0 |points3 = 38 |club4 = Wigan |year4start = 1927 |year4end = 35 |appearances4 = 362 |tries4 = 50 |goals4 = 5 |fieldgoals4 = 0 |points4 = 160 |club5 = Keighley |year5start = 1936 |year5end = 37 |appearances5 = 36 |tries5 = 4 |goals5 = 0 |fieldgoals5 = 0 |points5 = 12 |club6 = Bramley |year6start = 1937 |year6end = 39 |appearances6 = 64 |tries6 = 1 |goals6 = 0 |fieldgoals6 = 0 |points6 = 3 |club7 = Keighley |year7start = 1939 |year7end = 40 |appearances7 = 10 |tries7 = 1 |goals7 = 0 |fieldgoals7 = 0 |points7 = 3 |teamA = South Auckland |yearAstart = |yearAend = |appearancesA = |triesA = |goalsA = |fieldgoalsA = |pointsA = |teamB = Auckland B |yearBstart = 1924 |yearBend = 25 |appearancesB = 3 |triesB = 0 |goalsB = 2 |fieldgoalsB = 0 |pointsB = 4 |teamC = Auckland |yearCstart = 1925 |yearCend = |appearancesC = 1 |triesC = 0 |goalsC = 0 |fieldgoalsC = 0 |pointsC = 0 |teamD = Canterbury |yearDstart = 1926 |yearDend = |appearancesD = 2 |triesD = 0 |goalsD = 0 |fieldgoalsD = 0 |pointsD = 0 |teamE = South Island |yearEstart = 1926 |yearEend = |appearancesE = 1 |triesE = 1 |goalsE = 0 |fieldgoalsE = 0 |pointsE = 3 |teamF = {{nowrap|Other Nationalities}} |yearFstart = 1929 |yearFend = 33 |appearancesF = 4 |triesF = 1 |goalsF = 0 |fieldgoalsF = 0 |pointsF = 3 |teamG = New Zealand |yearGstart = 1926 |yearGend = 27 |appearancesG = 27 (3) |triesG = 9 (0) |goalsG = 3 (0) |fieldgoalsG = 0 (0) |pointsG = 33 (0) |source = <ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/len-mason/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}}</ref> }}
'''Leonard Tasman Mason'''<ref>[http://nzleague.co.nz/kiwis/player_profile.php?letter=M&id=186 MASON, Leonard Tasman 1926 - 27 - Kiwi #186] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719142856/http://nzleague.co.nz/kiwis/player_profile.php?letter=M&id=186 |date=2011-07-19}} ''nzleague.co.nz''</ref> (23 September 1903 – 10 June 1953) was a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. He played at representative level for New Zealand, Other Nationalities, Dominion XIII, the South Island, South Auckland and Canterbury, and at club level for Wigan, Keighley and Bramley, as a {{rlp|ce|pr|hk}}, or {{rlp|sr}}.<ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org"/>
==Early life and family== Born in Huntly on 23 September 1903, Mason was the son of Victor Emanuel Mason and Te Ngaehe Elizabeth Mason (née Maki).<ref name="The Leeds Loiner - Challenge Cup semi-final - Keighley v. Wakefield Trinity, Saturday 3 April 1937">{{cite web|url=http://www.footballzone.co.uk/images/i-28002/28537b.jpg|title=The Leeds Loiner - Challenge Cup semi-final - Keighley v. Wakefield Trinity, Saturday 3 April 1937|publisher=footballzone.co.uk|date=31 December 2016|accessdate=1 January 2017|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328195157/http://www.footballzone.co.uk/images/i-28002/28537b.jpg|archivedate=28 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/search/search?path=%2FqueryEntry.m%3Ftype%3Dbirths | title=Birth search: registration number 1903/7432 | website=Births, deaths & marriages online | publisher=Department of Internal Affairs | accessdate=1 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.myheritage.com/family-1_1897743_186249282_186249282/mason-victor-emanuel-mason-te-ngaehe-elizabeth-mason-born-maki | title=Victor Emanuel Mason + Te Ngaehe Elizabeth Mason | website=MyHeritage | accessdate=1 November 2017}}</ref>
==Playing career== ===Waikato=== Mason represented South Auckland as a teenager.
===Auckland=== He then moved to Auckland where he joined the Athletic club (formerly Maritime) for 2 seasons.<ref name=cxiii>Coffey, John. ''Canterbury XIII'', Christchurch, 1987.</ref> He played for Auckland B on their Southern Tour in 1925 and then played one match for Auckland against Canterbury.
===Canterbury=== Work then took him to Christchurch where he joined the Hornby club in the Canterbury Rugby League competition. He played for them in 1926 and 1927, representing the South Island team in 1926, where he scored a try in a 22-31 loss. Subsequently Mason was selected for the New Zealand national rugby league team and was part of the 1926-27 tour of Great Britain that was marred by player discontent.<ref>{{cite news| last =Baker| first =Andrew| title =100 years of rugby league: From the great divide to the Super era| newspaper = Independent, The| publisher =independent.co.uk| date =20 August 1995| url =https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/100-years-of-rugby-league-from-the-great-divide-to-the-super-era-1597130.html| accessdate =25 September 2009| location=London}}</ref>
Following the New Zealand tour of England Mason returned to Canterbury where he played a further 8 matches for Hornby before receiving an offer from Wigan to join them. He accepted and left for England in June.
===New Zealand=== Mason's first match for New Zealand was against Auckland prior to the 1926/27 season. He scored a try in a high scoring 32-52 loss where it seemed as though the New Zealand team was more worried about not sustaining injury than winning the match.<ref>{{cite news |title=New Zealand Outplayed/Auckland's Decisive Win/Superiority of Local Men |page=13 |work=The New Zealand Herald |volume=LXIII |issue=19395 |date=2 August 1926 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19260802.2.140.6 |accessdate=18 September 2019}}</ref>
On the England tour Mason played 26 matches, including 3 tests from the 32 tour matches. The large number of games that he played was partly due to the fact that 7 players went on strike and 6 of these were fellow forwards.
===Wigan=== left|thumbMason moved to England in June 1927 to join Wigan.
During the 1928–29 season, Mason was part of Wigan's 1928–29 Lancashire Cup, playing at {{rlp|sr}} in a 5-4 victory over Widnes in the final at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 24 November 1928.<ref name="1928-1929 Lancashire Cup Final">{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=420|title=1928-1929 Lancashire Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012|archive-date=12 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212191653/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=420|url-status=dead}}</ref> He played at {{rlp|sr}} in Wigan's 13-2 victory over Dewsbury in the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 4 May 1929.<ref name="Historic Wigan RL Moments: 1929 Challenge Cup Final">{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/news.php?readmore=944|title=Historic Wigan RL Moments: 1929 Challenge Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012|archive-date=12 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212191646/http://wigan.rlfans.com/news.php?readmore=944|url-status=dead}}</ref>
He won caps for Other Nationalities while at Wigan. He played in the 20-27 defeat by England at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Wednesday 20 March 1929, and in the 35-19 victory over England at Thrum Hall, Halifax on Monday 7 April 1930, and in the 18-31 defeat by England at Knowsley Road on Monday 7 April 1930, and in the 27-34 defeat by England in Workington <!--Borough Park (Workington) didn't open until 1937, and Derwent Park didn't open until 1956, so where did they play in 1933?-->on Thursday 30 March 1933.<ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org"/>
Mason played at {{rlp|ce}} in Wigan's 15-3 victory over Salford in the Championship final during the 1933–34 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 28 April 1934.<ref name="1933-1934 Championship Final">{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=422|title=1933-1934 Championship Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012|archive-date=13 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180713135120/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=422|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Mason played at {{rlp|sr}} in Wigan's 30-27 victory over France at Central Park, Wigan, on Saturday 10 March 1934.<ref name="1934 Tour Match: Wigan 30 France 27">{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=703|title=1934 Tour Match: Wigan 30 France 27|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012|archive-date=15 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215223748/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=703|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Keighley=== Mason later joined Keighley and was still a first grade footballer at 39 years of age.<ref name=cxiii/>
==Later years== Mason returned to the Waikato and was a Waikato selector in the later 1940s.<ref name=cxiii/> He died in Hamilton in 1953, and was buried at Rangiriri Lawn Cemetery.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz/services-facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-database/allotment/15927 | title=Cemeteries database | publisher=Waikato District Council | accessdate=1 November 2017}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=682 Statistics at wigan.rlfans.com]
{{Wigan - 1933–34 Championship Final winners}} {{Wigan - 1928–29 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mason, Leonard}} Category:1903 births Category:1953 deaths Category:20th-century New Zealand sportsmen Category:Bramley R.L.F.C. players Category:Canterbury rugby league team players Category:Dominion XIII rugby league team players Category:Hornby Panthers players Category:Keighley Cougars players Category:Maritime Football Club players Category:New Zealand Māori rugby league players Category:New Zealand national rugby league team players Category:New Zealand rugby league administrators Category:New Zealand rugby league players Category:Other Nationalities rugby league team players Category:Rugby league centres Category:Rugby league hookers Category:Rugby league players from Huntly, New Zealand Category:Rugby league props Category:Rugby league second-rows Category:South Island rugby league team players Category:Waikato rugby league team players Category:Wigan Warriors players