| Ian Keatley player profile | |||||
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  Ian Keatley has made a great start to life with Connacht Rugby this year in his first season with the side. Born in Laytow in Co. Meath on 1st April 1987, Keatley's family moved to Dublin at an early age and he began playing rugby at the age of seven with Suttonians RFC. Keatley excelled at sport, playing tennis, football, athletics as well as sailing, however rugby was always his top priority. Having attended a school reknowned for it's rugby, Belvedere College brought the best out in Keatley on the pitch as he went on to win a Leinster Schools Senior Cup medal, beating a Blackrock side which boasted Ireland international Luke Fitzgerald as well as Connacht's own Aidan Wynne. In that same season Keatley also finished second in the All Ireland Schools Javelin, as well as winning a Leinster Senior Cup medal in tennis for Belvedere. After his success on the rugby pitch with his school he was called up to play for Ireland U18's and has since been capped at U19 too. However one of his best achievements to date was helping Ireland U20's win a Grand Slam in the U20 Six Nations campaign in 2007. Leinster were also taking note of his talents around this time and he continued to represent them at provincial level for their U19, U20 and A sides. And over the summer he has represented Ireland at 7's and A level making the transition to playing for Connacht a smooth one, given the wealth of international and interprovincial experience he's had to date. So far this season he's been virtually ever present for Connacht and been pivotal in several of their victories to date, over Glasgow, Dax, Munster, Rovigo and Leinster, which all point to 2009 looking bright for both Connacht and Keatley. |
