Hugo Keenan looking long-term on his road back from injury

Optimum Nutrition ambassador and Irish Rugby player Hugo Keenan as Optimum Nutrition today unveiled a new partnership with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), becoming the Official Performance Nutrition Partner of Irish Rugby. Pic: Ben Brady/Inpho
Hugo Keenan won’t be rushing back from injury, even as he comes to terms with the frustrations of life on the sidelines and eyes up a potential January return-to-play date that would set him up for a key role in the next Six Nations.
Leinster and Ireland’s first-choice full-back hasn’t played since the third British and Irish Lions Test against Australia in Sydney in early August having opted to undergo surgery in London on what was a long-standing hip problem.
The 29-year old has revealed that the hip was an issue as far back as the 2024 Six Nations game against England, following which he had to pull out of the team to face Scotland during the warm-up. It had been managed ever since.
“It wasn't like I was forced into it. I sort of opted to go down this line, really, just for long-term benefits. So you want to take the time to get it right and not rush it, so there's no strict timeline on it.
“It'll depend on me hitting markers and just worrying about the short term, what I have to do this week, next week,” said Keenan, who was promoting the news that Optimum Nutrition is now the official performance nutrition partner of the IRFU.
“It is looking around a New Year return. Well, fingers crossed.”
The decision to opt for the surgery had to be made in the middle of a hectic Lions tour on which he had already lost up to six kilos due to a virus and would eventually score the try that secured the series win in the second Test.
He spoke to family, friends, players who had similar issues, and the medical staff at Leinster and Ireland about it. It would involve time out and some big games missed, but better to miss the first-half of a season than the second.
“It was a factor that I had to weigh up into my decision, that you want to get your body right for the business end of the season. Although I’m missing some Leinster games and internationals, there's still the interprovincials around Christmas and New Years.
“You’re into European rugby and it's a pool format so you technically only need to win a certain amount of games to go through. Then into Six Nations, which is always the important one in an Irish rugby schedule. So yeah, there's, there's still plenty to play for.”
With the Lions players given time off on their return from Australia, he has basically missed just the one game so far. That’s a plus, although watching from the stands as Leinster lost to Munster at Croke Park was a significant minus.
“This week's nearly the most frustrating week so far, just with the disappointing loss on the weekend and not being able to affect the outcome of that, and then obviously the Irish team going off to Chicago for an 11-day trip against the All Blacks in Soldier Field.
“It's the first week I'm probably finding it tough, but the whole injury is going to plan. It's a little slow. It's a little frustrating. It's been over two months since I got the surgery. The first month I had to take it really easy and chilled, which I found quite difficult.”