Former Super League player Keith Mason to stand in General Election

For most retiring Super League players, retirement can be a sedate comedown from the highs of an intense playing career. Some former players will pursue a career in coaching, staying in the game which they have grown up playing.

Other players will pursue a career in punditry, such as Sky’s Jon Wilkin and Brian Carney, who represented St Helens and Wigan respectively. Incoming Leeds Rhinos signing, Ryan Hall, will take up a position within the club’s commercial department when he hangs up his boots at the end of the 2025 season.

Sam Tomkins has chosen to stay in the South of France, having retired from the Catalans Dragons. He now runs his own vineyard, alongside his media duties.

However could one former Super League star be swapping his rugby boots for the despatch box?

Keith Mason made candidate for MP of Wakefield

Keith Mason has already taken a different path, post-retirement, having pursued a career in acting. Now, however, he is set to stand for election in the next General Election. Mason has been selected as the parliamentary candidate for Wakefield and Rothwell, for George Galloway’s Worker’s Party of Britain.

Rugby League icon to stand for the @WorkersPartyGB in Wakefield and Rothwell

Welcome to former Rugby Super League and Welsh international @Realkeithmason ✊https://t.co/6gN0VoH44h

— Workers Party of Britain (@WorkersPartyGB) May 9, 2024

Speaking following confirmation of his candidacy, Mason stated he will “stand up for the ordinary working class men and women of Wakefield”.

Before adding that “overcoming adversity and battling the demons I’ve made a success of my life when I could have fallen into a life of crime. I’m here to give something back”.

Mason is not the only high profile sportsperson to be selected as a candidate. Ex-England cricketer, Monty Panesar, was also selected to stand for the party. However, it was announced that he was withdrawing his candidacy shortly afterwards.

Mason aiming to swap the red carpet for the House of Commons

Mason had a long career in Super League. Having made his debut for Wakefield Trinity in 2000, he had a brief spell in the NRL with Melbourne Storm in 2002/03. He returned to St Helens in 2003, where he played 63 games.

He played the most games for Huddersfield Giants, playing 149 times in a spell between 2006 and 2012. He ended his career with the Castleford Tigers.

Mason has already enjoyed success in one post Rugby League career. He pursued acting, and appeared in the film Skin traffic alongside Hollywood stats, Mickey Rourke and Daryl Hannah. He also appeared in critically acclaimed BBC series, Peaky Blinders.

Mason would be able to discuss Rugby League in Parliament with Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle. Hoyle, a native of Chorley is the current president of the RFL and an avid Warrington Wolves supporter.