Ireland and Leinster fullback Hugo Keenan has signed a three year IRFU contract that will see him continue his career in Ireland until the end of the 2025/26 season.
Hugo made his international debut against Italy in October 2020 in the COVID postponed Guinness Six Nations Championships. Keenan has started 27 of Ireland’s last 29 games scoring eight tries. He won a Triple Crown with Ireland in 2022 and played every minute of Ireland’s three Test series against New Zealand.
Keenan has starred in Ireland’s two matches so far in this year’s Six Nations, and scored Ireland’s opening try last weekend against France.
At U20 level Keenan started every game for Ireland in 2016 across the Six Nations and the World Rugby U20 Championships where the team reached the final in Manchester. He is also an Ireland sevens international competing in the shorter code from 2017 to 2019.
Hugo made his Leinster debut against Zebre in November 2016 and has since amassed 51 appearances for the province scoring 13 tries, and winning BKT URC titles in 2020 and 2021. This season, Keenan has played seven times for Leinster, and is in a rich vein of form, scoring four tries in his last three games. He crossed the tryline twice in the Heineken Champions Cup win in Aviva Stadium against Racing 92.
David Nucifora, IRFU Performance Director, commented, “Hugo is the first player to come through the sevens programme to attain a central XVs contract. His dedication to improvement and his drive have gotten him to this point of his career and after impressing in his first season at senior international level he has kicked on again over the past 12 months. He is the type of player that drives standards around him and he will have a key role to play for both Ireland and Leinster over the next few seasons.”
Hugo Keenan, commented, “I am delighted to be part of two very competitive and ambitious environments with Ireland and Leinster. I am enjoying my rugby and looking to improve each week and there are so many opportunities to learn more about the game with the quality of coaches we have at provincial and national level.”
