Do you ever wonder what happens to old rugby players?
Some become coaches and some TV commentators but there are only a few of these jobs and many players are looking for a career after rugby.
Craig McMullen runs the Macar Bar in downtown Narbonne, a seaside city in southern France. He whips up a mean latte and pulls a fine beer. His friendly bon vivant is suited to the easy going lifestyle of this Mediterranean City and it’s inhabitants. The bar is a popular stopover for both visitors and locals on the Cours de la Republic.
Craig was not always a barista in Southern France. He is the son of Ken McMullen, yet another product of the sporting community of Wagga Wagga. Ken went to school and worked in Wagga before he played rugby at the highest level as a Wallaby in 1962/3. He had ongoing duel with the great Ken Catchpole for the 9 spot and would probably have had a much longer career in many other eras. He then went back to the professional game playing for Eastern Suburbs before returning to the country to captain/coach Dubbo CYMS. He was very successful there guiding his charges from the wooden spoon to premiership winners. He is still fondly remembered by many (including the writer) who saw him ply his trade for the green and whites on many a sunny winter’s afternoon at the No 1 Oval Dubbo
Craig was schooled at Scots college where he was influenced by former Australian Schoolboy Rep and Randwick stalwart, Warwick Melrose, to join the Coogee based Club. He first turned out for the myrtle green’s colts in 1992 and played grade from 1993 to 2001. In this time the Galloping Greens added 3 Sydney Premierships to their impressive total winning the competition in 1994, 1996 & 2000.
He was contracted to the Brumbies in 1998 thus kicking off a professional career that included stints with Bristol (coached by Bob Dwyer) Begles-Bordeaux, Leicester Tigers, Narbonne, Leeds, Clermont Auvergne, Harlequins, Saracens and Gran Parma.
His time at the Brumbies coincided with one of the most successful periods for the Canberra Franchise. In 2000 Eddie Jones took them to a finals showdown against the Crusaders where they failed by a point losing 20 -19. The following year they won the Championship by beating the Sharks. In 2002 the Brumbies were again in the final going down 31 -13 to the Crusaders. The Randwick discards joined with several talented Canberra locals ( Larkham, Gregan and Joe Rolfe) fostering an exciting style of play that made the Brumbies the most successful Australian Franchise. Many of those players went on to play for the Wallabies and contributed to a very successful period for our national team.
In the naughties Craig returned to France and the UK to ply his trade as a full time professional. He ended his career at the Italian Club Gran Parma where he admits that at the age of 35 and hampered by the inevitable injuries he found the going a bit hard.
He has many happy memories of Aussie Rugby. The game in Europe he says was not as much fun.
In Australia Craig will best be remembered for his play at Coogee and with the Brumbies. He fondly remembers his time at both clubs playing with a host of great players such as Lloyd Walker, David Knox, Campo, Stephen Larkham, Andrew Walker, Joe Rolf and George Gregan.
He rates Rod Kafer as the cleverest player he played with and Tim Horan as his toughest opponent, by a good margin..
As a mentor and coach he first mentions his father Ken. When asked about regrets the only one he mentions is that Ken, who succumbed to cancer at the age of 44, was not able to stick around a bit longer. At school and at Randwick Warwick Melrose and later John Maxwell were guiding influences. At the Brumbies he learned a lot from Eddie Jones.The current President of Narbonne Rugby Club, ex Randwick backrower, Tony Hill also gets a special mention. Tony is part of the Randwick Mafia at Narbonne and in Craig’s words he is “the man”. After leaving Randwick he had a long and distinguished career in French Provincial Rugby and is well respected in the cliquey rugby circles in this region.
Along the way Craig picked up some tertiary qualifications In addition whilst in the UK he made fairly frequent appearances in the gossip mags as a result of his relationship with the glamorous TV personality, Amanda Bryman. That relationship eventually withered and died due to GI (geographic impossibility). Philosophically Craig sees the hand of fate again passing him a golden opportunity. His life in Narbonne with partner Eve, “she’s the best”, could not be happier.
Maybe not “Clancy of the overflow” but “Craig of the MacaBar” and just as happy with his lot as the famous drover and horseman of Australian legend.
If you find yourself on the beautiful Cours de la Republic in Narbonne make sure you call into the MacaBar for a latte (best north of Coogee Road) or a beer. You’ll be sure to receive a warm rugby welcome from an Australian Professional Rugby Player who has found a comfortable life “après le rugby” in France.