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Robert Kearney (born 26 March 1986) is an Irish former rugby union player. He spent 15 years playing for Leinster Rugby, before having a six-month stint in Australia where he played for Perth based side Western Force. Kearney 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 Kearney also played rugby union for Clongowes Wood College and Gaelic football for Louth GAA in the All-Ireland Minor Championship. Kearney just taking it all in his stride Independent.ie, 14 February 2009
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. Graduation day for Irish international rugby player University College Dublin, 27 April 2010
In 2018, Kearney was awarded the UCD Alumni Award in Sport.
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 Rugby at the RDS on 22 October 2005. It was the first of 10 appearances scoring ten tries in the process. Profiles: Rob Kearney Leinster Rugby He was part of Leinster's Heineken Cup winning team in 2009 Leicester 16–19 Leinster BBC Sport, 23 May 2009 but missed the 2011 final due to injury. Kearney gutted to miss out Sky Sports, 17 May 2011 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. He was crowned Leinster player of the year for the 2011–12 season.
Kearney confirmed his departure from Leinster on 24 September 2020.
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. He was a member of the victorious Ireland team that won the 2009 Six Nations Championship, Triple Crown and Grand Slam. 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. Kearney missed almost a year – from November 2010 until August 2011 – due to a knee injury that required surgery. “Kearney revels in return”, Eurosport.
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. 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.
On 30 April 2013, Kearney was named in his second British & Irish Lions squad.
Ireland
Lions
Individual
In February 2015, Kearney was announced as the newest brand ambassador for Newbridge Silverware.
Kearney is a seventh cousin of former U.S. President Joe Biden.
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