Keith Wood

Although he was given nicknames such as ‘Uncle Fester’ and ‘The Raging Potato’ during his career, Keith Wood was widely thought to be the best hooker of his generation. As proof of his skill and prowess in the game, he won the inaugural World Rugby Player of the Year award in 2001.

Keith Wood began his rugby career with Garryowen in 1991. During his time with the club, he helped them capture the All Ireland title in 1992 and 1994. After this, he moved to Harlequins, where he stayed from 1995 to 1999. He followed this with a single season at Munster, where he played in a Heineken Champions Cup final. Following this, he returned to Harlequins, where he stayed for the rest of his career.

On the international stage, Keith Wood made 58 appearances for Ireland between 1994 and 2003. In doing so, he followed in the footsteps of his father, who featured as a prop for Ireland 29 times between 1954 and 1961.

During his international career, Keith Wood regularly captained Ireland and he was called up to represent the British and Irish Lions on two tours in 1997 and 2001.

Known for his leadership and exceptional skill in open play, Keith Wood was a constant for Ireland and was regularly voted to the World XV’s hooker spot. For his position, he was also a prolific try scorer.

After retiring from the game in 2003, Keith Wood was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2005 and the IRB Hall of Fame in 2014. Now, he works regularly as a pundit and a freelance journalist in the UK. Plus, in 2018, he also opened a café in his native Killaloe.