US-eligible Irishman Paul Mullen has played in Major League Rugby since 2018. He has represented the Houston SaberCats (2019-2019), the San Diego Legion (2020), the Utah Warriors (2021-2024), and the NOLA Gold (2025) during his MLR career.

From the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland, Mullen played age-grade rugby for Munster under-18s, 19s, and 20s, as well as for Ireland under-19s before moving to Texas in 2011, completing both his undergradate and Master’s degrees at Texas A&M University. He was signed by the Houston SaberCats ahead of MLR’s inaugural season in 2018, earning 3 caps (all starts) with the ‘Cats and impressed enough for a USA Eagles selection, for whom he qualified on residency, and earned his debut as Eagle #525. Mullen has been a regular member of the USA Eagles squad since then.

He returned for the SaberCats in 2019, earning 7 further caps (4 starts) before joining the San Diego Legion for the truncated 2020 season, where he started all 5 games before the season’s cancellation. Mullen then joined the Utah Warriors whom he represented between 2021-2024. Mullen was the 43rd player in MLR history to achieve 50 caps in the competition. On 13th November 2023, the Utah Warriors announced the return of Paul Mullen for the 2024 MLR season, where he earned a further 15 appearances (11 starts) to take his career total to 49 starts in 72 MLR games for 3 teams across 7 seasons. On October 2nd, 2024, Mullen was included in an announcement by the Utah Warriors, bidding farewell to 17 players who would not return for the 2025 season. On October 30th 2024, the NOLA Gold announced the signing of Mullen for their 2025 campaign.

Achievements:

• MLR Team of the Week: 2022 – Round 11
• All-MLR First XV: 2018
• MLR Team of the Week: 2018 – Round 7
• MLR Team of the Week: 2018 – Round 5