Leinster's URC demise 'really tough' for watching Keenan

SEVENS STINT: Hugo Keenan during the Team Ireland Paris 2024 team announcement. Pic: David Fitzgerald, Sportsfile

For Hugo Keenan, the early stages of his move towards the Paris Olympic Sevens were seamless. 

Coaches were supportive, the format was familiar, and he already knew 12 of his 13 teammates at the first tournament. Then Leinster’s season crashed to an end.

Keenan spent two years playing in the Ireland Sevens programme from 2017 to 2019 before making a breakthrough with Leinster. 

The full-back missed the end of the province’s URC campaign and is unavailable for Ireland's upcoming tour of South Africa after switching back.

“It was tough not being involved in Leinster, closing out of the season with them,” said Keenan.

“It definitely wasn’t how I hoped the season would go for me or Leinster. It wasn’t the plan, losing the Champions Cup final and, after that, was again hugely disappointing. 

"It has definitely been challenging in that regard and now it’s tough not being down in South Africa because you’d love to test yourself against the best team in the world, the World Cup champs, in their backyard.” 

For the URC semi-final against the Bulls, several Leinster players including the departing Charlie Ngatai and Jason Jenkins, gathered in Old Belvedere to watch it together.

“It was really tough. I didn’t enjoy the few weeks from that point of view. You always hope that it is going to go differently. I fully backed the side to go down there and to win. And I think everybody did. It was just one of those games that Bulls probably played the best possible game that they could. 

"They got a few bounces of the ball. They kicked incredibly well. They had the perfect game plan to beat us on the day.” 

In his childhood, the Olympics meant summer holidays and time spent planted in front of the TV during trips to Wexford. 

He was a middle-distance runner, frequently heading to Santry for track events. Keenan’s brother, Robert, set the Blackrock 100m record while he was in school.

“When he was in fifth year, they came second in the 4x100m relay, and there were four fifth years on the team. 

"They all decided they’d give athletics the full crack the next year, despite the Leaving Cert being on pretty much during the All-Ireland and a lot of the time the sixth years don’t do it.

“They won the Leinster, set a record and then in the final of the All-Irelands they dropped the baton, on track to win. My brother was running the final straight and never got to run.

“They were an incredible four-man team, could have pushed for the All-Ireland record. (It was) a few days before the Leaving Cert. But that’s sport for you, the nature of the game sometimes.” 

His last tournament before he stepped again from Sevens originally was a qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics in Toulouse. Ireland ultimately finished in a disappointing 10th place at those Games. They know they are capable of more this time.

“The squad has been competing all year,” said Keenan.

“They’ve come on leaps and bounds from when I left and that is the beauty of a sevens tournament that anybody can win it. But they’ve proven that they’re one of the most consistent sides in the series now and that’s definitely going to be our aim going over there.

“It was definitely one of the appealing factors to do it because you’re not just there for the experience as you said. You are there to compete, you are there to try to get Ireland a medal at the Olympics which is certainly one of the main reasons why I did it.”