The Houston SaberCats added Paul Mullen to the team in January 2018. Mullen is a 26 years old tighthead prop, is 6′ tall, and weighs 275 pounds.
Mullen is from the Aran Islands, Galway, Ireland. He is USA eligible and has previously played for the USA under-20s in Tbilisi, Georgia at the Junior World Rugby Trophy.
Mullen was introduced to rugby at age 13 at the Glenstal Abby School in County Limerick and played there from 2004 through 2009. He then went to The King’s Hospital School in Dublin from 2009-2010 and helped led the team to the Leinster Schools Senior League Final against Newbridge College in 2009.
Mullen also played age grade rugby for Munster under-18s, 19s, and 20s, as well as for Ireland under-19s. On July 31, 2010, he also played for the Munster-Connacht combined team against the Ulster-Leinster combined team to open Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
In 2011, Mullen moved to Texas and in 2015 earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Engineering Technology at Texas A&M University. He then continued education at Texas A&M in Galveston from 2015-2017, earning a Master’s Degree in Marine Resources Management.
While in Texas, Mullen played for HARC and later for Galveston Rugby Club. In 2014 he played with the Texas Rugby Union All-Stars and also became a Texas Rugby Union referee.
Galveston Rugby Football Club celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017. The Galveston News quoted Mullen indicating that “For someone like me, a foreigner coming to a new country, I can relate to all these guys because I play rugby. So straight away, you’ve got friends …. I like that I can travel anywhere in the world and basically have a group of friends pretty fast.”
Since Mullen has joined the Houston SaberCats, he has proved to be a dominant front row player. The SaberCats have some dominant props in Mullen, Adam Macklin, Jamie Dever, Jake Turnbill, with Petey Hepburn also demonstrating his capabilities in the front row. Crossover athlete, Chauntez Jackson has been gaining valuable minutes at tighthead prop. Estevan Florez and Jack Riley have also played prop, although the later, generally plays hooker.
Houston SaberCats Rugby
- Justin Fitzpatrick – Head Coach
- Sam Windsor – Backs Coach, Fly-half
- Matt Trouville – Academy Director, Backrow
- Charlie Hewitt – Lock
- Jake Turnbull – Youth Rugby, Prop
- Adam Macklin – Tighthead Prop
- Connor Murphy – Scrum-half
- Jackson Slater – Lock
- Kyle Sumsion – Flanker
- Christopher Slater – Scrumhalf/ Wing
- Codi Jones – Prop (Injury, Out for Season)
- Diego Armando Maquieira – Hooker
- Pago Haini – Backrow
- Zach Pangelinan – Fullback
- Osea Kolinisau – Center
- Estevan Florez – Prop
- Cecil Garber IV – Flanker
- Colton Pederson – Backrow
- Craig Whitlock – Backrow
- Malacchi Esdale – Center
- Conor Mills – Center
- Kieran Farmer– Flyhalf
- Willie Perry-Jackson – Wing
- Andres Diaz – Hooker
- Josua Vici – Wing
- Chris Parker – Lock
- Chris Milledge – Scrumhalf
- Kenneth Hepburn – Flanker
- Dan Paul – Center, Wing
- Robert Meeson – Lock
- Jack Riley – Hooker, Prop
- Lindsey Stevens – Hooker
- Art Reyes – Wing
- Mo Mascary – Wing
- Jamie Dever – Prop
- Justin Allen – Lock
- Paul Mullen – Prop
- Chauntez Jackson – Prop
- Chris Coyle – Flanker
- Alex Elkins – Wing
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