Ontario native Mason Flesch played in Major League Rugby between 2021-2024. He represented the Toronto Arrows between 2021-2023, and the Chicago Hounds in 2024.
A native of Cobourg, Ontario, Flesch represented the Canada U20 side at the Junior World Trophy in 2019, and between 2019-2021 was a part of Rugby Canada’s residential Men’s Development Academy at the Al Charron National Training Centre and played for the Pacific Pride in the BC Premier League. His original signing was announced by the Arrows in March 2021, just before the start of the season. The Arrows spent the 2021 season entirely on the road based out of Atlanta, and Flesch earned 10 caps (7 starts) delivering a solid debut season in North America.
Though he missed a large part of the 2022 season with injury, Mason Flesch earned 27 caps (22 starts) through his first 3 seasons with the Toronto Arrows including a high of 14 caps (all starts) in 2023, racking up over 400m gained and completing 105 tackles. On 16th October 2023, the Toronto Arrows announced that Mason Flesch was returning for the 2024 MLR season, however in late November 2023, the Toronto Arrows announced that they would not be competing in the 2024 season due to a lack of funding. On December 13th, 2023 MLR held a dispersal Draft for Toronto & NY players (the Ironworkers also pulled out of the 2024 season a week after the Arrows, again due to financial difficulties), and the Chicago Hounds selected Mason Flesch 3rd overall. They announced the signing of Flesch for the 2024 season on 16th December, 2023, where he will join Arrows captain Lucas Rumball. Because Flesch opted in to the Dispersal Draft, his 2024 salary will not count against the Hounds cap hit for the 2024 season.
In 2024, Flesch earned a PB 15 appearances and scored 3 tries, carrying for over 500m as the Hounds qualified for the MLR Playoffs for the first time in team history, and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals after dispatching the NOLA Gold 21-45, a game that Flesch started. For his performance in 2024, Flesch was named to the All-MLR Second XV and was named as the Chicago Hounds Player of the Year.
Achievements
- 2024 All-MLR Second XV
- Chicago Hounds Player of the Year
- MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 15
- MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 5
- MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 1
- MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Rd 13