Rob Kearney Explained

Rob Kearney
Birth Date:1986 3, df=yes
Birth Place:Cooley Peninsula, County Louth, Ireland
Weight:94kg (207lb)
Ru Position:Fullback
Ru Clubyears:2005–2020
2020–2021
Ru Proclubs:Leinster
Western Force
Ru Clubcaps:219
8
Ru Clubpoints:(238)
(5)
Ru Clubupdate:11 August 2021
Repyears1:2006–2007
Repteam1:Ireland Wolfhounds
Repcaps1:5
Reppoints1:13
Repyears2:2007–2019
Repteam2:Ireland
Repcaps2:95
Reppoints2:82
Repyears3:2009, 2013
Repteam3:British & Irish Lions
Repcaps3:3
Reppoints3:5
Ru Ntupdate:19 October 2019
Children:1
Relatives:Dave Kearney (brother)
School:Clongowes Wood College
University:University College Dublin

Robert Kearney (born 26 March 1986) is an Irish former rugby union player. He played for 15 years for Leinster followed by a six-month stint in Australia, playing for Perth based side Western Force. He also played over a decade for the Ireland national rugby union team with whom he earned 95 caps, and went on two British & Irish Lions tours in 2009 and 2013. As a youth he also played rugby union for Clongowes Wood College and Gaelic football for Louth in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship.[1]

Early life and education

Kearney was born and raised on a dairy farm in the Cooley Peninsula in County Louth. Like many of his peers, he got involved in athletics at an early age. The dominant sport in the area is Gaelic football. As a youth, Kearney played Gaelic for Naomh Mhuire, and in the Cooley Kickhams underage setup, before graduating to the Cooley senior football team at the age of 17 in 2004 and also Louth at minor level.[1] [2] [3]

Kearney attended Clongowes Wood College in County Kildare for his secondary education. After his Leaving Certificate he moved to University College Dublin, where he studied arts. He graduated in April 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.[4]

Club career

UCD

Kearney attended University College Dublin on a sports scholarship where he played for the rugby team. He graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. In 2005 he helped the U-20s team win the McCorry Cup, beating Dublin University Football Club in the final.[5]

In 2018, Kearney was awarded the UCD Alumni Award in Sport.[6]

Leinster

Kearney played for Leinster at both schoolboy and U-19 level before going onto represent them as a senior. He scored a hat-trick of tries on his debut for Leinster in a pre-season friendly win over Parma.

He made his Celtic League debut for Leinster in 2005 in a 22–20 defeat away to the Ospreys. He made 32 appearances in the competition, scoring eight tries, with three penalties during a period in September 2006, when usual place kicker, Felipe Contepomi was injured. Kearney played in his first Heineken Cup game in a 19–22 defeat against Bath at the RDS on 22 October 2005. It was the first of 10 appearances scoring ten tries in the process.[7] He was part of Leinster's Heineken Cup winning team in 2009[8] but missed the 2011 final due to injury.[9] On 21 May 2012, the day after Leinster won their second straight Heineken Cup he was announced as the ERC Player of the Year for 2012. During the 2011–12 campaign he started all nine European matches scoring six tries.[10] He was crowned Leinster player of the year for the 2011–12 season.[11]

Kearney confirmed his departure from Leinster on 24 September 2020.[12]

Western Force

In late September 2020, it was confirmed that Kearney had signed a one-year contract with Australian side Western Force.[13] Kearney made his Force debut in an 11–27 defeat to the Brumbies on 19 February 2021.[14] Kearney announced his retirement from rugby after one season with Western Force in Super Rugby AU and Super Rugby Trans-Tasman.[15] Following his retirement, Kearney returned to Louth GAA club Cooley Kickhams where he began training in August 2021 for the first time since 2005.[16]

International career

Ireland

Kearney represented Ireland at schoolboy and U-19 level, and toured with Ireland A in the 2006 Churchill Cup.

Kearney was first called into the Irish training squad for 2005's autumn internationals, but didn't play. He was named in the Irish squad to the 2007 summer tour of Argentina and earned his first cap against Argentina on 2 June 2007 in a 16–0 defeat.During the 2008 Six Nations Championship he scored two tries, one against Scotland and one against England.[17] He was a member of the victorious Ireland team that won the 2009 Six Nations Championship, Triple Crown and Grand Slam.[18] One of the most famous incidents in Kearney's career was a high tackle incident involving Italy's Andrea Masi in the first minute of a game. The incident was taken as an indication of the danger posed by Kearney in attack.[19] Kearney missed almost a year – from November 2010 until August 2011 – due to a knee injury that required surgery.[20]

In the 2011 Rugby World Cup Kearney was selected but was injured for the first game against the United States; however, he played in all the other matches which took Ireland through to the quarter-finals, in which they were knocked out by Wales, 22–10.Kearney was selected in the Ireland squad for the 2012 Six Nations Championship and named in the starting team to play Wales in the opening match.[21] He played in all the other games, which saw Ireland finish third in the table. Kearney was also in the first Irish rugby team in 39 years to beat Australia on Australian soil, in the 2018 summer series. He was named in the Ireland squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, starting three of Ireland's five matches and splitting time at fullback with Jordan Larmour.

British & Irish Lions

Kearney was named in the British & Irish Lions squad for the 2009 tour to South Africa.[22] He made his Lions test debut as a substitute in the 26–21 first test defeat in Durban.[23] [24] Due to an injury to Lee Byrne, Kearney was selected again for the second test in Pretoria.[24] He scored the only try for the Lions in a 28–25 defeat.[25] He then played in the final test in Johannesburg which the Lions won 28–9.[26]

On 30 April 2013, Kearney was named in his second British & Irish Lions squad.[27]

Honours

Leinster

Ireland

Lions

Individual

Personal life

Kearney is the third of five children; he has an older brother, Richard, a younger brother Dave (who played for Leinster) and a sister, Sara, the youngest of the five children. His elder brother Ross died following an accident in 1988, aged 6 years.[28] Kearney married Jess Redden in 2021, and their son was born in 2023.[29]

In February 2015, Kearney was announced as the newest brand ambassador for Newbridge Silverware.[30]

Kearney is a seventh cousin of U.S. President Joe Biden.[31]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/irish-news/kearney-just-taking-it-all-in-his-stride-1639964.html Kearney just taking it all in his stride
  2. http://www.argus.ie/news/win-extra-special-for-cooley-kickhams-1687164.html Win extra special for Cooley Kickhams
  3. Web site: Rob Kearney: From a long line of farming rugby players.
  4. http://www.ucd.ie/news/2010/04APR10/270410_kearney.html Graduation day for Irish international rugby player
  5. http://www.ucdrugby.com/Senior_Squad/Default.1188.html Senior Squad
  6. Web site: ROB KEARNEY . 2022-09-03 . UCD Alumni Awards.
  7. http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/profiles/index.php?player=9017&includeref=dynamic Profiles: Rob Kearney
  8. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8057916.stm Leicester 16–19 Leinster
  9. http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/15186/6936681/Kearney-gutted-to-miss-out Kearney gutted to miss out
  10. Web site: Kearney wins top European award.
  11. Web site: Kearney Crowned Leinster Player of the Year . Irish Rugby . 18 April 2023.
  12. News: Rob Kearney pens emotional farewell letter as he bows out at Leinster. 24 September 2020. The42. 24 September 2020.
  13. News: Rob Kearney signs one-year deal with Australian side Western Force. 29 September 2020. The42. 29 September 2020.
  14. Web site: CLINICAL BRUMBIES TOO GOOD FOR THE FORCE IN PERTH . Super Rugby . 21 February 2021.
  15. 1407701309118058496 . KearneyRob . The past 6 months have been incredibly enjoyable and an experience I’m grateful to the Western Force for allowing me. I look forward to watching this club continue to grow and go from strength to strength. . 23 June 2021 . 24 June 2021.
  16. News: Rob Kearney returns to GAA with Cooley Kickhams. RTÉ. 11 August 2021.
  17. News: Healy and Sexton in Ireland squad. BBC Sport. 15 January 2008. 3 February 2008.
  18. News: Wales 15–17 Ireland. 22 March 2009. BBC Sport. 23 March 2009.
  19. News: Keeping his head in heat of battle. The Irish Times.
  20. https://www.eurosport.com/rugby/world-cup/2011/kearney-revels-in-return_sto2899513/story-amp.shtml “Kearney revels in return”
  21. News: Rugby Union: Ireland Name Starting XV to Face Wales in RBS 6 Nations 2012 Opener. The Global Herald. 1 February 2012. 1 February 2012. 4 February 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120204130133/http://theglobalherald.com/rugby-union-ireland-name-starting-xv-to-face-wales-in-rbs-6-nations-2012-opener/27411/. dead.
  22. Web site: British & Irish Lions tour squad announced. 21 April 2009. 21 April 2009. Lions Rugby. 24 April 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090424105603/http://www.lionsrugby.com/7404.php. dead.
  23. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/britishandirishlionsrugby/5587030/South-Africa-26-British-and-Irish-Lions-21-match-report.html South Africa 26 British and Irish Lions 21: match report
  24. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/article-23712279-lions-tour-over-for-injured-lee-byrne.do Lions tour over for injured Lee Byrne
  25. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8118816.stm South Africa 28–25 Lions
  26. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8133265.stm South Africa 9–28 Lions
  27. Web site: Warburton to lead British and Irish Lions . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130503072629/http://www.planetrugby.com/lions-09/story/0%2C25883%2C16024_8681489%2C00.html . 3 May 2013 .
  28. Web site: Rob Kearney: Brothers death.
  29. Web site: Jewell . Bryony . Jess Redden And Rob Kearney Welcome First Baby . EVOKE . 25 August 2023 . 19 October 2023.
  30. News: Model moment! Rob Kearney joins Amy Huberman & Aoife Walsh as face of Newbridge. evoke.ie. 16 February 2015. 16 February 2015. 1 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170701150729/http://evoke.ie/showbiz/rob-kearney-newbridge-silverware-guinness-pics. dead.
  31. News: Rob Kearney on the day he met 'cousin' Joe Biden – and his return visit to the White House. The Telegraph. 8 November 2020. Rowan. Kate.