Harry McNulty: I cried when we qualified for the World Series

The Irish Men’s Sevens player says going for a hike or going out into nature helps to cheer him up if he is having a bad day

Irish Men’s Sevens player and World Cup Sevens Bronze medallist Harry McNulty, ahead of the Cape Town leg of the 2022/23 Sevens World Series

It's bright and early in sunny Cape Town when I chat with rugby player Harry McNulty on Zoom. The 29-year-old was in South Africa for the Cape Town leg of the 2022/23 Sevens World Series before heading to Kenya. “It’s 25ºC and blue skies here in Cape Town so it’s hard to complain,” he says. While the Irish Men’s Sevens player currently has a rigorous rugby schedule, in his downtime, he likes to lean into his love for
photography and content creation and is hosting a photography safari when he lands in Kenya.

“I do a lot of the content creation stuff so I do find that I will pick certain days off or certain parts of the year where I’ll go out and I’ll go and take some photos or go for some hikes, enjoy myself and get that fresh air,” says the World Cup Sevens Bronze medallist. “It’s a really nice feeling just being able to go out and explore and find new things.”

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How do you keep fit?

We’ve got a pretty intense rugby schedule; we train four days a week. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday [and] Friday we are on the rugby pitch then we’ll have a gym session after all of those pitches but on the Thursday, we’ll have a second pitch session so we’re running five times a week. Each one of those sessions is anywhere from about three to five kilometres and it’s high speed. It’s a very good but intense and hard way of getting fit but it’s doing the job alright.

Do you have a morning routine?

I get laughed at a little for this. I’ll pack my bag for rugby the night before but because I’m usually so tired I end up forgetting things. Also, I lay out all the gear that I want to wear for training the night before, and I put that on in the morning. So, when I arrive to training every day, I’m fully kitted out — socks, jersey, shorts — everything. The only things that I have left are my boots and my gum shield.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

I love my veg and I love fruit and everything like that. If you hold off on cravings for too long, it can get a bit detrimental, so I do have my biscuits and sweets and things like that.

What are your guiltiest pleasures?

Ice cream. 100%, hands down. I could eat ice cream every day.

What keeps you awake at night?

I wouldn’t say it keeps me awake at night, but I suppose just the thought of [what happens] post-rugby, being able to move on from being a professional sports player to a working life. I am trying my best to be able to do all my content creation and everything like that outside of rugby and create a level at which I can be able to do that full-time when I finish.

How do you relax?

I love my bed. I will lie on my bed for hours if I can. I also do enjoy going down for a sea swim and a sauna. Meeting up with a couple of friends as well, go for a coffee or just meet up and chat —and I try and read as well.

What is your favourite smell?

Freshly cut grass is great but the smell after it just rains — it’s called petrichor. I think that’s one of my favourite smells.

When was the last time you cried?

I cried when we qualified for the World Series. That was in 2019. I don’t know if I cried in between then but that’s the one where it stood out because I cried for like, two or three hours non-stop.

What is the best health advice you’ve ever been given?

Eat as you feel. Don’t be too restricting. I think everything in moderation works well.

What cheers you up if you’re having a bad day?

Going for a hike or going out into a bit of nature.

What quote inspires you most and why?

If you want to go fast, go alone and if you want to go far, go together.

Where is your favourite place in the world?

I went to Fiji for three weeks and it was one of the best trips I’ve ever done, and I would love to get back there.