Danika Mason was always destined for a life involving sport. Raised by sports-mad parents and with a childhood that consisted of every activity she could cram into her waking hours, sport in its many forms was such a large part of her life that a career on or off the field was inevitable.
“Some of my earliest memories are of footy,” Danika tells TV WEEK. “My mum was the one who got me into it – she loves rugby league. When we were kids, Origin night was such a big thing in the household. She would bring home treats, we’d all sit up and watch the game… but it was all sports, really.”
At one point in her school days, there was a rule where all the students had to play musical instrument and Danika declined.
“I actually said to Mum, ‘Well, there’s no way I’m ever going to play a musical instrument because I’m pretty much tone-deaf, so can I just play two sports instead?’” Danika, 34, says with a laugh.
The only problem was she had too many to choose from. “I played a bit of touch footy, netball, basketball, soccer, hockey, Little Athletics and anything else that came along,” she says.
That love of sport led her into a journalism degree, then an internship with the Nine Network in 2012 and roles across multiple programs including Nine News, The Sunday Footy Show, NRL On Nine and Wide World Of Sports.
Now, she is constantly on the sidelines or in the commentary box at major events to offer expert opinion, grab interviews with the players and help fans understand what’s going on. More recently, she replaced Alex Cullen as the lead sports reporter on Today.
She’s first to admit it’s a hectic life – and one she shares with NRL player Liam Knight, who she began dating in 2024 after the last-minute cancellation of a planned 2023 wedding to Todd Liubinskas. With Liam now playing in the UK and Danika constantly on the move for work, the couple have a long-distance relationship.
When we chat to her, she’s fresh off an NRL broadcast in Sydney and heading to Canberra, after time in Melbourne for the Australian Open and a visit to Las Vegas for the NRL season launch. And she has no plans to stop.
“We’ve got a pretty busy year coming up with the Magic Round, State of Origin and a lot of matches across Australia, and the Kangaroos are playing in the UK at the end of the year, so hopefully I’ll be there,” she says. “Then we’ve got the Melbourne Cup Carnival… honestly, there’s not much room left on the calendar!”
And if there was, she’d be looking for another sport to fill the gap. “I wouldn’t mind doing some of the Formula One races,” she says. “Maybe I’ll talk to the powers that be.”
Besides the action on field, the atmosphere of sport is an equal highlight for Danika.
“I was on holiday in Europe last year and went to a French rugby match,” she says. “It doesn’t matter what language you speak or where you’re from, everyone just gets into it. It really brings people together and it’s nice to be a part of that.”
Yes, Danika admits, even on holiday she finds the closest sport. So, what does she do in her limited downtime?
“I go for a run with friends then watch the footy to keep across everything that’s happening,” she says with a laugh. “I probably should get something else going on in my life, but I do love sport!”
Today airs Weekdays, 6am on Nine Network
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