Austin Gilgronis re-signed Mason Pedersen for the 2022 Major League Rugby season. The 25-year-old prop is 6’1″ and 260 lbs.
Mason played 747 minutes in 15 matches, starting 10, for the Gilgronis in 2021.
After being a reserve the first week of the 2020 truncated season, Mason started the remaining four matches, playing 301minutes, scoring two tries, and cementing his role as a future starter at tighthead prop.
Mason played 456 minutes in 9 matches, starting 7, and scored one try in 2019. He carried 41 times for 193 meters, had 1 linebreak, 2 tackle breaks, 2 offloads, and made 56 tackles. He also played 428 minutes in 6 matches, starting 5, in 2018.
Mason was a key contributor for Austin Elite Rugby Club in 2018 and during the Fall played with Vancouver Rowing Club in the British Columbia CDI Premier League. Mason joined the Austin Huns for the 2017 season and helped the team win their first USA Rugby Club Division 1 Championship.
Mason went to Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. Upon graduation, he attended college at the University of Arizona in 2014, majoring in Finance. He also participated in a study abroad program at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom.
Mason Pedersen & USA National Team Rugby
Mason Pedersen was a member of the USA Rugby Junior All-American U20s team that went to Zimbabwe in 2016 to contend for the Junior World Cup Trophy. In August 2016, he went on tour to Queensland, Australia with the USA Rugby Men’s Collegiate All-Americans. By Fall 2016, he was selected for the USA Rugby Selects for the Americas Pacific Challenge. As a result of an injury sustained in the tournament, he was not available for consideration for the Eagles XV.
Other Rugby Involvement
Mason has also played College rugby at the University of Arizona and USA Club Rugby for both Belmont Shore and for the Austin Huns.
In 2016 Mason also played PRO Rugby for the San Diego Breakers. In 2017 Mason was selected for the Maccabi USA team that played in the Maccabiah Games in Israel. He was the vice-captain of the Gold Medal winning team.
In August 2017, he played for the Republic of Texas All-Stars against the Liberty Rugby Conference All-Stars in Bermuda. This match was held prior to the USA Islanders playing the Saracens, of Aviva Premiership Rugby.
