Photo courtesy Doylestown Rugby Academy
When athletes are introduced into the USA age grade system, they are often exposed to new positions. At one’s home club, especially at the high school level, the strongest players are sometimes wedged into the key impact positions. At the elite level, where everyone is talented, staff can consider how a player’s attributes will project at the international level. That process not only affords a new look at players but also injects dynamism across the pitch.
Such was the case during the Girls High School All-American (GHSAA) Winter Camp, which culminated with a match against the Canada U18s in Chula Vista, Calf., in late December. Several familiar players were placed in different areas of the pitch, some with fantastic results, including back-turned-hooker Nina Mason.
The 17-year-old has a rugby pedigree, but initially needed some encouragement to join the Doylestown Dragons (Pa.) middle school program.
Photo courtesy Doylestown Rugby Academy
“My dad made me try it and I was resistant at first, but once I played my first game I fell in love with rugby,” Mason recalled. “When I first started playing rugby, I was also playing soccer at the time and I always thought soccer was going to be my number one sport. As soon as I played my first tournament with Doylestown I loved it. At first it was just fun, but then I got to play with Atlantis in Utah about three years ago and I fell in love with it and wanted to play at the highest level possible.”
Stacy Mancuso was and still is the head coach of Doylestown, and in October 2016, immediately noted the presence of the then-eighth grader.
“Nina Mason will be the player to watch at the middle school and even higher levels of rugby,” Mancuso wrote in October 2016, when Mason was an eighth grader. “She hails from a rugby family, both her father and grandfather play(ed) for the Hibernian Men’s rugby club and her grandfather was one of the founding fathers of the club. She plays soccer and is also the starting kicking for the Poquessing Middle School football team. Nina is an incredible athlete and has picked up the game extremely quickly for someone her age. She is quick on her feet, has incredible ballhandling skills and is an outstanding place kicker. I am excited to see how she develops over the next few years and expect her rugby career to be very promising.”
Mason (c) with Sophia Linder (l) and Tiyanna Hooker (r)
Mason has spent her 2.5 years at Neshaminy High School banking next-level opportunities, including 15s with the Pennsylvania All-State teams, and Atlantis tours to the NAI 7s, New York 7s and LVI 7s.
“My dad, my Nona and my Poppop are my biggest supporters. They’ve never missed one of my games,” Mason credited her support. “My dad is like my coach, my trainer, and my best friend all in one. He helps me be the best rugby player I can possibly be every day.”
In December 2018, Mason made her first appearance at the USA Rugby GHSAA Winter Camp.
“Feedback that the USA Rugby staff offered was a whole new position, which was hooker,” Mason recalled her inaugural All-American assembly. “They said I had many strengths to offer for that position and that I could do really well there. Work-ons for me was definitely my confidence and faster decision-making.”
Mason (2nd from left) with the North American Lions
Mason got to work in 2019, and had a very successful 7s season on top of the Pennsylvania 15s league. Josie Ziluca selected Mason for the Redshirts, which won the LVI 7s U18 Elite division. The then-sophomore helped the Atlantis U18 Elite team win the Tropical 7s and NAI 7s, and thus clinch a repeat North American High School (NAHS) 7s series.
“Nina Mason had a breakout performance this weekend,” Ziluca praised Mason’s performance at the NAI 7s in August 2019. “She has gotten herself to the next level and it’s visible to all. Her ability to read the attack and punch in on defense as well as her ability to read and manipulate the offenses has become unparalleled. She still has many levels to hit before reaching her true potential.”
Mason was named to the North American Lions team – a combination squad of U.S. and Canadian standouts from the NAHS series – and traveled to the Paris World Games in September. Mason then returned to Pennsylvania and led Doylestown to the state fall 7s title:
“Nina is a strong force and leads the drive on offense,” Mancuso said of the flyhalf’s contributions this fall. “She has great IQ, great game sense, and her defense – her tackling ability – is just as good as her offense. She gives the team the drive they need to play up to her level. They really give their all when they’re out there with her.”
2019 Atlantis U18 Elite at New York 7s
Mason returned to Atlantis U18 Elite for the New York 7s and then traveled to the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center for the GHSAA 15s Winter Camp in December. She was named as starting hooker against the Canada U18s.
“I’ve never played hooker for 15s until the [summer 2019] East camp with GHSAA, and I was terrified at first because I was so used to playing in the back line,” Mason confessed. “I eventually understood that position more and I was happy to be playing in the pack against Canada.”
Mason played the first half against Canada, planting big hits in the middle of the pitch and scoring two tries en route to the USA’s 24-14 halftime lead. Read more. Mason stunned the Canadian defense when, after the USA attack had flattened out, she grubbered through the line, raced onto the kick and dotted down the ball for her first try.
Mason (r) with fellow GHSAA and Rugby PA athletes
“The entire camp I was talking about doing a grubber kick with my coach, Josie. She said to try it and that it didn’t matter if I messed up or anything as long as I try,” Mason prefaced her first try. “When I saw the fullback wasn’t behind the defensive line I just thought to myself: Why not? So I did it, and I’m really happy it worked. It felt really good to score in that game because it was the whole team’s effort to get us down the field and work the ball side to side to put it down for a try.”
Already a veteran of Atlantis, Mason still has another year-and-a-half with Doylestown and won’t age out of the GHSAAs until December 2021.
“My next steps in rugby is to definitely play in college, and hopefully play as much rugby as I can for as long as I can,” Mason looked ahead. “My dream is to hopefully play in the World Cup and the Olympics.”