Rugby star takes on a colossal challenge in memory of ‘journalistic giant’ dad

He was aged six, undergoing his rugby union baptism. And as he played at Pownall Park on the junior pitches at Wilmslow Rugby Club, there was a man watching him. The same man would be on the touchline as his career ascended to the professional game, crowned with a stint at one of this country’s most famous clubs.

The boy was Charlie Mulchrone, and the man was Paddy, his father. Paddy was a giant of a man, at a strapping six foot one inch, and a rugby playing journalist who was blessed with authentic charm and charisma.

Paddy, who worked for the Manchester Evening News as a reporter and later the Daily Mirror, died aged 64 in October 2020. But he did so a very proud father – both his sons, Charlie, and Fergus, had gone on to play rugby union professionally.

Paddy died surrounded by his family, including his wife, Fiona, at his home in Ireland, where he had gone to retire. He had been living with liver cancer for more than a year. Now Charlie is doing something remarkable in memory of his dad.

Charlie, a scrum half who left Harlequins last month, after a successful spell as a player and part of the coaching staff, said of his father: “He was the most supportive man alive, and came to every game he could. He would always drop me a text after every game to say how proud he and mum were. He loved life, the rugby community and everything that came with it, including the occasional Guinness.

“Dad and mum were the biggest influences on my rugby career. They took me to so many games and practices from the age of six until I was able to drive. And they came to every single game they could. Mum even flew out to Capetown in March to watch me coach against the Stormers. They were hugely supportive but never pushy, just always there when I needed them. The first game they watched would have been whoever we were playing against at U7s”

Paddy played rugby for Wilmslow and it was that club which nurtured Charlie’s talent. He played for them all through the junior ranks from the age of six until he was 18, then for the senior side for two years. Aged 20 he played for Macclesfield in National League 1, rugby’s third tier, for two years.

He was then picked up by Rotherham and became fully professional in the championship (second tier of rugby) for two years. Charlie then moved to Worcester in the game’s Premiership for two years, before signing for Harlequins in 2016. He played there for four years.

“I have coached the first team for three years, winning the Premiership in 2021, seven months after dad died,” Charlie said.

Charlie’s brother Fergus had a year at Rotherham at the same time. He then played for London Irish over a hundred times and he is now head of the academy at Sale Sharks.

Now, in honour of the man who made it all happen for them from those days on the touchline in Wilmslow, Charlie is to do five marathons in 24 hours. Money he raises in sponsorship will go to two charities close to his heart.

He aims to cover the first four 26 mile challenges in the gym, climbing on board a rowing machine, an Assault bike, a Skierg, and a Watt Bike.

He will then pound the roads on foot near his home in Wimbledon, south London, to complete the final leg of his mission on June 24.

Charlie hopes to raise £6,500 for two organisations, Looseheadz, a rugby focused mental health charity, born out of Paddy’s home town club, Wilmslow RUFC, and Brú Columbanus, which provides accommodation for relatives of patients in Cork and which helped Paddy’s family when he was ill.

He said: “I’m excited to be taking on this challenge and raising funds and awareness for two causes that are very close to my heart and supported my family during my dad’s illness. It’s going to be a massive 24 hours, testing me physically and mentally, but I’ve been training hard and feel in good shape.”

“Training has been horrific, doing anywhere between 3-9 hours a day. I am trying to massively increase my calorie intake to support the training but I’m still losing a lot of weight. At the moment I’m probably 6kg lighter than normal.

“The first four marathons are done indoors on gym equipment. The rowing machine and Skierg – basically a rowing machine mounted up on a wall – move at similar paces and best guess from the training they will take between 3 ½ hours to 4¼ hours each.

“The Watt bike and Assault bike are shorter length but much harder. You have to keep at a certain pace to make sure the large internal fans that create the resistance keep moving so your heart rate goes up a lot higher, putting more stress on the heart and lungs.

“Once I have navigated through those four I have the run to contend with, which will be the hardest by far. All in all we estimate i’LL be working for around 17-20 of the 24hours.

“The main issues I forecast for the challenge are having enough time between each marathon to fuel appropriately, my back and other joints giving way with the strain of the row and Skierg in particular. Also hitting a big wall in the marathon run could happen. My old nutritionist from ‘Quins has thrown together a rough schedule for hydration and nutrition to help me through.”

Charlie, like his dad, has the right stuff to succeed. Paddy’s father was Vincent Mulchrone, the legendary Fleet Street reporter who worked for the Daily Mail for 30 years in Manchester and London. But Paddy carved out his own reputation as a highly regarded journalist – going north on his father’s advice to work first for the Burnley Express. Patrick lived in Prestwich, and later Wilmslow and Alderley Edge, before moving four years ago to a family home in County Cork. To donate visit here.

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