When Heath Mason pulls on his Wests Tigers jersey on Sunday, it will be a moment of significant cultural representation for this proud young Indigenous man.
For Mason, a Wiradjuri man, the NRL match against the St George-Illawarra Dragons marks his first appearance in the annual NRL Indigenous Round after the Tigers had the bye last weekend.
The Tigers’ Indigenous jersey is designed around the theme of UNITY, with the jersey reflecting how the club and its Wests Tigers (Empower) programs come together to create meaningful change within our community.
Purchase the Wests Tigers Indigenous Jersey here
“This round is very special, not only for myself, being a proud Wiradjuri man, but for my family and our culture,’’ Mason said.
“I get to celebrate our culture. I’m proud to be running out for our people.
“I love the jersey design. It's probably one of the best ones I've seen.
“When I had some photos taken in it as part of a promotional shoot, I thought it was awesome. I can't wait to wear it.”
A talented full-back who can also play five-eighth, Mason is a graduate of the NRL’s School to Work and Indigenous Youth Summit program.
Established in 2012, the program helps young Indigenous Australians complete their schooling and transition into employment or higher education.
He undertook the program during high school in between working his way up through the pathways at the Western Suburbs Magpies.
His first year out of school saw him land at Wests Tigers, the club he made his NRL debut for in 2024.
“It’s an awesome program for young Indigenous students at school. It was good for me to learn more about my culture and be involved in a couple of special days,’’ Mason added.
“It also helped me to be better in the work environment after finishing school.”
Mason heads into the clash with the Dragons in good form after some strong performances of late for the Magpies in the NSW Cup, where he has scored 11 tries in 12 games.
Another try or two on Sunday, in his own specially designed Indigenous boots, may just top off a memorable day for Wests Tigers and the Mason family.
