Hugo Keenan
Rugby Sevens
BIOGRAPHY
Hugo Keenan represented Ireland in the men’s Rugby Sevens tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where Ireland finished 6th – four places higher than their 10th place finish at Tokyo 2020.
Keenan was an unexpected addition to the squad, rejoining the Sevens programme in May 2024 after a five-year absence, having departed to establish himself as Ireland’s first-choice fullback in the 15-a-side game. He had previously been part of the Sevens programme from 2017 to 2019, playing a key role in helping Ireland qualify for Tokyo 2020, his final Sevens event being the qualifier that secured Ireland’s place at the Monaco repechage. To compete in Paris he relinquished his place on Ireland’s summer tour to South Africa.
He grew up in Booterstown, Co. Dublin, attended Blackrock College, and plays for Leinster. His father Paul was a rugby player and his mother Avril a hockey player. Known as “The Fox” for his sharp reading of the game, he was named in the British & Irish Lions squad for the 2025 tour to Australia, becoming the first player to compete in Olympic rugby sevens and then be selected for the Lions.







