Q: You’ve played for multiple MLR teams, including the Houston SaberCats and Utah Warriors, before coming to NOLA Gold. How have those experiences helped you grow as a player?

Paul Mullen: Yeah, I suppose the biggest thing would be that at this stage, I’m almost used to coming into a new environment and just being able to make friends in a very fast manner.  That would probably be the biggest takeaway for me. I’ve been on a few teams, and I suppose I’m more familiar with the moving process, unfortunately. 

Q: Props don’t often get the glory moments—how do you mentally stay sharp and motivated in a role often “unseen”?

Paul Mullen: Absolutely, I wouldn’t say I get any glory at all, but I don’t want it either. I take pride in the set piece, the scrums, and the lineouts. Getting a scrum penalty is kind of my little moment of glory, if you will. 

Q: You were born in Inis Mór, in the Aran Islands. What was it like growing up and playing rugby there?

Paul Mullen: To be honest, I didn’t know any different, but there’s no rugby on the Aran Islands. It was not until I went to boarding school on the mainland that I first got introduced to rugby. I started with Gaelic Football. It’s a sport everybody plays growing up in Ireland. It’s like Little League and Junior League American football here, so I played Gaelic football. It was the only sport on the island, and that’s all you had. Then I went to boarding school on the mainland, and all they had was rugby. It was either sink or swim; fortunately, I found a position for myself on the rugby team as a prop. You know, nobody else wanted to play prop, but that’s where I ended up and that’s where I’ve been ever since. 

Q: What differences have you noticed between rugby culture in Ireland and the U.S.?

Paul Mullen: I went to school in Ireland at a place called Limerick, and basically, rugby in Limerick is like a religion. Then you come to the States, and it’s like, what’s rugby? It’s that big huddle thing, the scrum, what’s that holding thing they do? From that aspect, you realize we’re on a different wavelength here. What it is is that it’s just a few years behind. That was the biggest difference for me. I came from a place where rugby was everything. It would be like going to Ireland and saying you’re a massive football player, and they’re like, “Oh, what’s that again?” It’s an adjustment. When I came over here, I went to college out here, and I played, so I’ve been here since the MLR started, and I’ve seen it develop over time. It’s something I’m very proud to be part of, the development of rugby in America.  I’m not saying I’m doing anything extraordinary to help it, but to be a part of it is a privilege. Plus, to have the World Cup coming here is fantastic. The professional league started in 2017, and the first games were in 2018, but 13 years later, the World Cup is coming to market. I won’t be around for that, but I have played a small, tiny part in that. I was there for the journey, and when that time does come, it’ll be amazing to see how far we’ve come from the early days. 

Q: As a prop, you’re in one of the most physically demanding positions on the field. What does your preparation and mindset look like before a game? 

Paul Mullen: We touched on this earlier, but there isn’t much glory. I think for me, it’s just making sure that I’m focusing on the present. Every game and every team you play against, it’s going to be a battle, mentally and physically. You just have to make sure you nail your roles because if you don’t, you can find out quickly. You don’t want to be the one letting the team down, and I want to do whatever I can to help my team benefit. It’s always humbling because you can’t get ahead of yourself as a prop. You might have one good scrum, but you’re going backwards with the next one. Overall, I just try to stay in the moment. 

Q: You were a referee with the Texas Rugby Union. How has officiating changed the way you see the game as a player? 

Paul Mullen: It’s quite interesting because when you know what the referees want, you have a better idea of how to paint that picture, if that makes sense. I haven’t refereed a game in a long time. I’d like to help the local community by being a referee whenever the playing days are over. Let’s just say painting the picture for the referee is like when you’re in college, and you see what the professor wants, so that’s what you’ll do. Becoming a referee helped me a lot with the game in that sense. 

Q: You’ve represented both your heritage and your adopted country. How does it feel to be an Irish-American playing for USA Rugby?

Paul Mullen: It’s a great honor. My grandfather was born in Boston in the early 1900s. Because my grandfather was born here in the U.S., I can represent America. As you mentioned, I’m from a small island off the West Coast of Ireland, about 9 miles long and 3 miles wide, with about 800 people. Coming out to America is an entirely new life, so I’ve been making the most of it. Putting on the jersey to represent the red, white, and blue is the most incredible honor. Honestly, I’ll always hold that very special to me, and it’s been the greatest honor of my life. 

Q: You’ve been a referee and a player throughout your rugby career. Would you ever consider becoming a coach?  

Paul Mullen: Absolutely! We got our coaching certification this year. I’d love to be able to give back someday. My wife’s pregnant with a baby boy on the way, so you know, I think even by becoming a parent, you automatically become a better coach. At the moment, I don’t relate to kids very well. I feel a bit awkward around them. Many of the dads are good at coaching because they can relate to the kids better. So hopefully you know, from a selfish way, by being a dad, that will help me become a better coach. 

Q: What surprised you most about attending college in the States at Texas A&M Galveston?

Paul Mullen: When I first came over, I had trouble with people understanding me. If I got excited, they’d be like sir, you need to slow down, speak slowly and clearly. The biggest shock, though, was the weather and the southern hospitality. Everybody was so lovely to me, and I’m still very grateful for the opportunity and for being so welcomed to a foreign land.  I don’t wanna sound cliché by saying that, but people brought me in, especially the rugby team. The Galveston rugby team was just like, you’re coming to my house for Thanksgiving, you’re going here for Christmas. I was like, guys, I hardly know you, but that’s how you do it over here, and it goes a long way. 

Q: How do you quickly build chemistry with a new front row, especially when players move between clubs? 

Paul Mullen: You just give them a quick chance to listen, and explain this is how I like to scrum. It’s no different than a chef or something like that. You say this is how I want to do my kind of things, and they might say this is how I would like to do mine, and you meet someplace in the middle. You don’t have much of a choice. You have to make it work because if two are on board and the third person isn’t, it’s like the missing piece of a jigsaw; it just doesn’t work. It’s your job to make it work for the team and work together.