Hugo Keenan
Irish rugby union player (born 1996)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hugo Keenan (born 18 June 1996) is an Irish professional rugby union player who plays as a fullback for United Rugby Championship club Leinster and the Ireland national team.
Keenan in the Six Nations Championship | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 18 June 1996 Dublin, Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 92 kg (203 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Blackrock College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Early life
Professional career
Leinster
Keenan debuted for Leinster in 2016 against Zebre at the age of 20.[4]
Ireland U20 and 7s
Keenan played wing for the Ireland under-20 national rugby union team. Keenan started all matches for the Ireland under-20 team during the 2016 under-20 Six Nations. He also started all matches in the 2016 World Rugby under-20 Championship, including Ireland's historic victory over New Zealand.[5][6]
Keenan was called into the Ireland national rugby sevens team camp in early 2017.[7][8] Keenan was part of the Ireland sevens team during the 2017 Grand Prix Series. He scored several tries during Ireland's win at the 2017 Moscow Sevens, including a crucial try in Ireland's 28–21 semifinal win over Russia.[9]
Keenan was called up to the Sevens Team for the 2023/24 Madrid Grand Final. In June 2024 Keenan was called up to the 2024 Olympics Squad.[10][11]
Ireland
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Keenan debuted for Ireland on 24 October 2020 in a Six Nations match against Italy, where he started on the wing and scored two tries in a 50–17 win.[12] Keenan then started Ireland's next 17 internationals between 2020 and 2022, scoring tries against Georgia, Italy, USA, England and New Zealand. Keenan was recognized for his strong performance in Ireland’s win against England in the 2022 Six Nations.[13] Keenan was described in March 2022 as the heir to Rob Kearney at fullback for Ireland.[14]
Selected for the 2023 Rugby World Cup by Ireland Coach Andy Farrell, Keenan started in all five matches for the Ireland within the tournament.[15]
British & Irish Lions
Keenan was named in the initial Lions squad for the 2025 tour to Australia as part of the event held at the O2 Arena in London. Despite suffering from illness and injury during the beginning of the tour to Australia, Keenan made his Lions debut as cap #881 against the Queensland Reds on 5 July 2025.[16] Keenan started both of the first two test matches against the Wallabies and scored the series clinching try in 79th minute of the second test.[17]
Playing style
Known for his defence, aerial skills and ability to pick up loose kicks and engineer attacking plays for his team, 'The Fox' is considered Ireland's premier player in the fullback position[18]. He has been referred to as having "extraordinary ability", notably holding a world record of 4:11 in the Bronco Test[citation needed].
Career statistics
List of international tries
| Number | Position | Points | Tries | Result | Opposition | Venue | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Wing | 10 | 2 | Won | Italy | Aviva Stadium | 24 October 2020 | [19] |
| 3 | Wing | 5 | 1 | Won | Georgia | Aviva Stadium | 29 November 2020 | [20] |
| 4 | Fullback | 5 | 1 | Won | Italy | Stadio Olimpico | 27 February 2021 | [21] |
| 5 | Fullback | 5 | 1 | Won | United States | Aviva Stadium | 10 July 2021 | [22] |
| 6 | Fullback | 5 | 1 | Won | England | Twickenham Stadium | 12 March 2022 | [23] |
| 7 | Fullback | 5 | 1 | Won | New Zealand | Sky Stadium | 16 July 2022 | [24] |
| 8 | Fullback | 5 | 1 | Won | France | Aviva Stadium | 11 February 2023 | [25] |
| 9 | Fullback | 5 | 1 | Won | Italy | Stadio Olimpico | 25 February 2023 | [26] |
| 10 | Fullback | 5 | 1 | Won | Romania | Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux | 9 September 2023 | [27] |
| 11-12 | Fullback | 10 | 2 | Won | Scotland | Stade de France | 7 October 2023 | [28] |
| 13 | Fullback | 5 | 1 | Won | Italy | Stadio Olimpico | 15 March 2025 | [29] |
| 14 | Fullback | 5 | 1 | Won | Australia | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 26 July 2025 | [30] |
as of 26 July 2025[update]
Honours
- Leinster
- Ireland
- 2× Six Nations Championship: 2023, 2024
- 1× Grand Slam: 2023
- 3× Triple Crown: 2022, 2023, 2025
- British & Irish Lions
- 1x Test Series: 2025
- Individual
