Mick Kearney

Mick Kearney (born 29 March 1991) is an Irish rugby union player, currently playing for Irish side Ulster in the United Rugby Championship. His primary position is lock, though he has also played as a flanker.[2]

Mick Kearney
Birth nameMichael Kearney
Date of birth (1991-03-29) 29 March 1991
Place of birthDublin, Ireland
Height1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight116 kg (18.3 st; 256 lb)
SchoolMount Temple Comprehensive
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock, Flanker
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
Clontarf ()
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011–2015
2015–2019
2019–2021
2021−2022		 Connacht
Leinster
Zebre
Ulster		 68
47
32
9		 (15)
(5)
(5)
(0)
Correct as of 20 April 2022[1]
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011
2014		 Ireland U20
Emerging Ireland		 10
2		 (0)
(5)
Correct as of 10 Feb 2015

Career

Club

Kearney, who is originally from Dublin and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School, joined Connacht in 2011. He had previously played for amateur club Clontarf and been part of the Leinster youth set-up, from schools to under-19's and Leinster colleges.[3] He made his debut in a home match against Welsh side the Ospreys on 26 November that year, coming off the bench in a 17–6 loss.[4] Kearney made his first senior start for Connacht against his native province Leinster on 1 January 2012, playing at blindside flanker.[5] At the end of his first season with Connacht, Kearney had made 11 Pro12 appearances for the team, 5 of them starts.[6] He had also played 3 times in the Heineken Cup, coming on as a replacement in both matches against Gloucester and the away match with Toulouse.[7]

Kearney played more often for Connacht in his second season, making 8 starts and 7 replacement appearances in the 2012–13 Pro12.[8] He also played for the province in 4 of their 6 pool games in the 2013–14 Heineken Cup, starting all but one of his games.[9] He scored his first try for the team in a Pro12 match away to Edinburgh on 12 April 2013, which Connacht won 32–24.[10]

In April 2015 it was announced that Kearney would return to his native province of Leinster for the 2015–16 season.[11] Kearney was released by Leinster at the end of the 2018–19 season, and joined Italian side Zebre ahead of the 2019–20 season, where former Leinster teammate Ian Nagle had also moved to.[12] On 30 May 2021 he left Zebre,[13] and on 26 August he joined Ulster on a short-term contract.[14] He left Ulster at the end of the 2021–22 season,[15] announcing his retirement in May 2022.[16]

International

Kearney has represented Ireland at under-age levels including playing for the Irish under-20 team. He was part of the squad that went to the 2011 IRB Junior World Championship in Italy. He started each of the group matches against England,[17] South Africa[18] and Scotland[19] in the second row, as well as the first game in the 5–8th place play-offs against South Africa.[20] He was left as a replacement for the final game against Wales, however.[21]

References
  1. Playing stats at ItsRugby.co.uk
  2. "Ulster sign Kearney on short-term contract". Ulster Rugby. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  3. "Latest News - the Official Home of Leinster Rugby".
  4. "Connacht Rugby 6 - 17 Ospreys". RaboDirectPRO12. 26 November 2011. Archived from the original on 8 December 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  5. "First Connacht Start For Kearney". Irish Rugby. 30 December 2011. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  6. "Connacht Squad Index: Mick Kearney". RaboDirectPRO12. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  7. "Player Archive: Mick Kearney". ERC. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  8. "Connacht Squad Index: Mick Kearney". RaboDirectPRO12. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  9. "Player Archive: Mick Kearney". ERC. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  10. "Henshaw leaves it late as Connacht snatch victory". RaboDirectPRO12. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  11. "Mick Kearney To Join Leinster As 31 Players Put Pen To Paper". Leinster Rugby. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  12. "Leinster Forward Signs for Zebre". Huge Rugby News. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  13. "Le Zebre Rugby salutano otto giocatori che lasciano il club". Zebre (in Italian). 29 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  14. "Experienced lock Mick Kearney joins Ulster from Zebre on short-term contract", BBC Sport, 26 August 2021
  15. Neil Treacy, "McGrath and Reidy among five Ulster departures", RTÉ Sport, 26 May 2022
  16. "Mick Kearney hangs up his boots", RTÉ Sport, 31 May 2022
  17. "2011 IRB Junior World Championship: England 33 - 25 Ireland". International Rugby Board. 10 June 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  18. "2011 IRB Junior World Championship: Ireland 26 - 42 South Africa". International Rugby Board. 14 June 2011. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  19. "2011 IRB Junior World Championship: Ireland 30 - 13 Scotland". International Rugby Board. 18 June 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  20. "2011 IRB Junior World Championship: South Africa 57 - 15 Ireland". International Rugby Board. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  21. "2011 IRB Junior World Championship: Wales 38 - 24 Ireland". International Rugby Board. 26 June 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
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