“The heart is willing, the head is willing but the body has had enough,” he said. John Scally pays tribute to the man known as ‘The Claw’ in his new book, ’100 Great Irish Rugby Moments’. Keith played all sports growing up and he speaks of playing underage Clare hurling beside the ‘artist’ Jamesie O’Connor. He made his debut at 21 against the Wallabies in 1994 and, as a natural leader, went on to captain Ireland in 38 Tests. Keith Wood Owner at Keith Wood Company Memphis, TN. He made his European Cup debut for Munster against Northampton Saints … Read More About: clare gaa , clare hurling , Hurling , irish rugby , keith wood , Munchins , Top Story For years the debate has raged on on whether or not inter-county players should be paid for their efforts. Everyone In. Asked about the pressure that may linger following in the footsteps of a father and a grandfather who both represented the Lions, Wood regaled a touching, yet hilarious tale of introducing his three young sons to his father’s front-row partner from the 1959 Lions tour, Sid Miller. You can listen to the full Keith Wood interview on ‘Wind Yer Neck In’ with Niall Annett here. Picture: Picture: Alan Place/Fusionshooters. Keith Gerard Mallinson Wood is a former international rugby union football player who played hooker for Ireland, the Lions, Garryowen, Harlequins and Munster. Son of Irish rugby legend Keith Wood scores amazing try to win Munster Junior Cup St Munchin’s were victorious at Thomond Park this afternoon — ending a 20-year wait. He was capped 58 times for his country and five time for the Lions. He was one of the tour’s standout players in both 1997 and 2001, winning the inaugural IRB Player of the Year award in the latter year. 23:00 23 Mar 2021 6 min read. “My disciplinary record at that stage started to go downhill so.”. When Austin Gleeson, arguably the most naturally gifted hurler of all time, gives his verdict on one of the most frequently debated topics in the GAA, the sporting public is going to take notice. Keith Wood (born 27 January 1972) is an Irish former international rugby union footballer who played hooker for Ireland, the Lions, Garryowen, Harlequins and Munster.He was nicknamed 'The Raging Potato' because of his bald head. Pictured: Brian Lohan, former Clare hurler and Keith Wood, former international rugby player. Keith Wood. Keith Wood has criticised Munster’s latest South African signing, as he believes it sends out the “wrong signals” to young players in the squad. My favourite game, favourite game to watch. Keith Wood is in a jovial mood at the University of Limerick Ulster Bank this morning. ABOUT. Read More About: clare gaa, clare hurling, Hurling, irish rugby, keith wood, Munchins, Top Story, Darron Gibson Released By League Two Club Salford City, Pundit Arena Daily GAA Trivia Challenge – Day 10, Roy Keane on the Ireland player who sang ‘God Save The Queen’ at Wembley, Alex Ferguson on ‘one of the most disappointing signings’ of his Manchester United career, Alex Ferguson on Henrik Larsson, the player he “would have done anything to keep” at Man United, Alex Ferguson on the five players he would include in his all-time Man United XI, Jose Mourinho speaks about working with Roy Keane on Sky Sports, Quiz: Name every Irish player to represent the Lions since 2001, Quiz: Name the most expensive players signed by Jose Mourinho, Quiz: Name every player who started the 2008 Champions League final between Man United & Chelsea, Thierry Henry backs Roy Keane and two other Man United legends to make Premier League Hall of Fame, Quiz: Name every Spanish player to play for Man City in the Premier League, Quiz: Name every Scotland player who has toured with the Lions since 2001, Sam Simmonds confident he can have a ‘big impact’ for the Lions, Limerick’s Sean Finn refreshed and ready to go after shorter pre-season. LAST weekend, Ruth Algar (Athletics), Fiona Coughlan (Rugby), Brian Lohan (Hurling), Sean McGrath (Paralympian), Liam O’Brien (Athletics), Fiona O’Driscoll (Camogie/Gaelic Football) and Keith Wood (Rugby) were inducted into the University of Limerick Sports Hall of Fame. On this week's Keith Wood's State of the Union, Keith, Johne Murphy, Steve Rooney and Ger Gilroy discussed the future of club rugby, the importance of the under-20s game, and how the Leinster Schools players are effectively pro in terms of commitment. #WYNI pic.twitter.com/YMUyshPbTv, — WindYerNeckIn (@WindYerNeck_In) May 15, 2020. Rugby World magazine’s June 2021 edition The new issue of Rugby World provides detailed insight into the British & Irish…, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, LATEST RUGBY WORLD MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION DEALS. Same for Keith Wood between 1995 and 1998. If you shy away from contact, you get the end of the hurley and you get cut so you have to get very close. Ep 10 with Keith Wood = “Your father was a Lion, your Grandafther was a Lion….”. Keith is inextricably linked to the Lions and he shares great insights into the iconic tour to South Africa in 1997 and the tour to Australia in 2001. He was also known as 'Uncle Fester' due to his resemblance to a character in The Addams Family. He would walk away from the sport an Irish rugby legend having come through Garryowen and Munster before captaining Ireland and representing the British and Irish Lions and to this day, he is still the only front-row forward to be named World Rugby Player of the Year. Sport. Keith talks about his time in London with Harlequins and his love of that city. The UL Sports Hall of Fame honoured the 2015 inductees […] I was relatively skilful, a good scorer, a good free-taker and just at that age, 16, 17, I could run very fast in a straight line but the agility. You can listen to the full Keith Wood interview on ‘Wind Yer Neck In’ with Niall Annett here. Over the last 40 years the University of Limerick has made a unique contribution to sport regionally, nationally and […] He is here as an ambassador for the RBS Six Nations tournament and is accompanying the Six Nations trophy, as well as a considerable PR entourage, on a whistle-stop tour of Limerick city this icy Monday. Keith Wood Global R&D Engineer at APS Materials Inc. Keith Wood recently spoke of how he hates to see individual players blowing kisses to the crowd after they score a try. “I brought a friend of mine, a very eccentric English guy, over to an All-Ireland final about ten years ago and he lost it. OTB AM is the sports breakfast show from Off The Ball – live weekday mornings from 7:30-10:00 am across the OTB channels. “It’s fantastic. I've spent the past three decades studying, shooting, building and writing about firearms. >> SPECIAL OFFER: Subscribe to Rugby World magazine and get three issues for just £5. The Munster man was a dominant presence in the Irish set-up for a decade crossing over from the amateur days into the professional era a year after making his Ireland debut in 1994. Hurling Roberts Jun 1987 - Mar 1990 2 years 10 months. Ireland caps: 58 (55 starts) As soon as I got anyway bigger, you have to turn on a sixpence and I couldn’t turn. A good game of hurling is without parallel. And I played Senior Cup for Munchin’s.”. Annett cited that many had heard of Gaelic football with hurling the lesser-known of the too. Vices. Wood was also to make a name for himself as a Lion, playing in five Tests. He was also known as 'Uncle Fester' due to his resemblance to a character in The Addams Family. Conor Murray . Listen to LIVE commentary of Munster v Harlequins this Sunday on Off the Ball, with Neil Treacy joined by Keith Wood at Thomond Park for the 5.30pm kickoff. Woods lavished praise on the sport, citing that it promotes bravery before admitting that it was his favourite sport, to play and watch. The highlights of Newcastle United’s 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest “I said, ‘Sid, I’d like to introduce you to Alexander, Gordon and Tom. Most Popular. A former hurler, Wood explained how he basically quit rugby to focus on hurling before ultimately switching back in his final year at school. “I stopped playing rugby in second year because I was too small. 20:40 23 Mar 2021 2 min read. Enjoy the luxury of home delivery and never miss an issue <<. Picture: Alan Place/Fusionshooters. This acknowledges the role of the team in the score rather than the person who touched down the final ball getting the plaudits. Twenty-Three Best Ireland Sports Podcasts For 2021. 23:00 23 Mar 2021 6 min read. Team of Us. Most English journalists went nuts about Simon Shaw's display in the second Lions test in Pretoria in 2009. A lot of those things I find them very interesting because there’s a psychological element to all of this. The memory of the 17st Wood throwing in, and then tearing around the corner to take the ball off the jumper to drive into the opposition defence, is a sight few opponents will miss. Hall of Fame. Of course, Wood’s decision to transition back to rugby would ultimately pay off. Picture: Alan Place/Fusionshooters. Test span: 1994-2003 I was playing U16 for Clare. Read More. The ages were different, they’re a year older now but it was U18 then at that stage for Senior Cup for us. Test points: 75 (15T). He made his international debut in 1994 against Australia. Hurling players around the country are being warned following a player suffering a horrific hand injury. Wood excelled at the set-piece, finding his jumper routinely, yet what set him apart from his peers was his attacking ability. Wood, who was nicknamed Uncle Fester for his distinctive bald head, crossed the try-line on 15 occasions in his 58 Tests – still a world record for a hooker. “So, whereas I was fine prior to that because I was small and hurling was easier for me. By AFP Thursday 1 … Ireland has produced major stars such as Keith Wood, Brian O'Driscoll and Jonathan Sexton. He knew nothing about it. The discussion turned to Gaelic games with the current Worcester player outlining how he and Donncha O’Callaghan would regularly guide their teammates towards watching Ireland’s national games. I was always hurling and I didn’t start playing rugby again properly until halfway through my last year in school. As for the present day, it is his eldest son, Alexander, who is making people in the rugby community sit up and take notice following some eye-catching performances at out-half for St. Munchin’s College. Wood led Ireland into two of his three World Cups. The player suffered the injury following modifications that were made to a opposing player's face guard, resulting in a metal bar becoming lodged in his hand. Latest was Ross Byrne on turning over Exeter, competing with his brother and Rainbow Cup rules. Brought up in Killaloe, County Clare, where he spent his youth hurling, his rugby pedigree was never in question after his father Gordon packed down for Ireland on 29 occasions. Keith Wood “Every little Irish village has a Gaelic football pitch, a hurling pitch, a pub and a church. No pressure boys.'”. Killaloe’s Keith Wood and Shannon’s Brian Lohan have joined Seanie McMahon as inductees to the University of Limerick Sports Hall of Fame. “Sid and my dad were the two props on the Lions in ’59 and they played a couple of Tests together. Domestically Wood spent his early years at Garryowen before spending the majority of his career with Harlequins, save for a year with Munster when he led them to the Heineken Cup final, giving them a belief they could conquer Europe. He’s a sought after public speaker, runs a PR company and is a TV pundit for the BBC. I… actually the agility was gone and it was amazing. “But I introduced them to Sid Miller, former Ballymena man, Ulster man, Irish man, Lion. “It was my favourite game to play and I was good-ish at it. The combative Irish hooker had an intensity that bordered on lunacy, and he encapsulated the clichéd phrase ‘force of nature’, to mark himself as one of the greatest hookers of all time, Keith Wood prepares to throw in at the line out, Major teams: Harlequins, Munster “And Sid said, ‘Your father played for the Lions, your grandfather played for the Lions. I find it hard to believe he’s in there like, a fella that used to go out in Croke Park in front of 82,000 people." Conor Murray made his competitive debut for Munster against Connacht in the Magners League on 18 th April 2010. In recognition of the University of Limericks unique contribution to sport regionally, nationally and internationally and to round off an excellent year of events celebrating UL40, the University of Limerick Sports Hall of Fame was unveiled on Saturday 28th September 2014. High Court says Delaney hearing can be heard in public for time being. However, Wood may have remained an amateur, in a different sport, had genetics not got in the way. A new podcast hosted by former Ulster player and Ireland U20s captain, Niall Annett. He thought this was the best thing of all time. His 1999 campaign included a four-try haul against the USA, while he played his final game in the green shirt in a losing quarter-final against France in 2003. The traditional Gaelic games of Gaelic football and hurling are played by Irish expats, with increasingly local involvement in communities around the world, however no nation has enough players to compete with Ireland. In golf, Ireland has produced several top golfers such as Pádraig Harrington . Former Irish rugby international Keith Wood has said the death of his former teammate Anthony Foley was almost like “some sort of sick joke that couldn’t obviously be true”. Caoimhe O'Neill Hurling John Connell John O'brien Keith Wood Otb Am Tommy Walsh Trent Alexander-Arnold. Country: Ireland “But I missed Ireland schools trials and Munster schools trials because I was playing hurling for Clare. In recognition of UL’s unique contribution to sport regionally, nationally and internationally, the University of Limerick Sports Hall of Fame was launched in 2013 as part of the UL40 celebrations. Sport. Keith Wood. Attending the event were inductee’s, County Clare natives, Clare hurling star Brian Lohan and Irish Rugby’s, Keith Wood. “I played little bits and bobs and I played wherever, it didn’t matter, I liked sports, I’m a sports billy and I would played a lot of soccer at the time and I liked that too. In 2018, Wood opened a café and restaurant on the main street in his native Killaloe with business partner Malcolm Bell, aptly called Wood & Bell. The former Ireland captain was a guest on ‘Wind Yer Neck In‘. Former Contributor. Hurling is embedded into rural Ireland and rugby can’t replace that. Keith Wood never took a backward step, on or off the rugby field. Because the stick is just shy of three feet long, a hurley is just shy of three feet long. Vodafone. “Yeah, well it’s funny. MUNSTER final fever has gripped Limerick in a way that is challenging the hype of last year’s Heineken Cup win, with a massive demand for tickets. “Well, it promotes bravery. Wood used to play hurling, and was a member of the Clare GAA side that played in the inaugural Nenagh Co-op hurling tournament in 1988. He just said, ‘this is crazy’ and it is officially crazy. In his career after rugby, Wood isn’t lacking work. “I gave it up and went back to playing hurling. Keith Wood prepares to throw in at the line out TAGS: The Greatest Players. Lions caps: 5 (5 starts) Keith Wood (born 27 January 1972) is an Irish former international rugby union footballer who played hooker for Ireland, the Lions, Garryowen, Harlequins and Munster.He was nicknamed 'The Raging Potato' because of his bald head. It could be said he fulfilled a legacy by returning to rugby given that his father, Gordon, had represented each of those four teams mentioned above throughout a glittering career of his own in the 1950s and 60s. Listen online, no signup necessary. Hurling (Irish: iománaíocht, iomáint) is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. He much prefers when they run back to their team mates for a hug or a high five. You know, an absolute legend. Keith Wood says Ireland job was the turning point for 'stubborn' Warren Gatland “He changed immediately afterwards,” said Wood of Gatland’s post-Ireland career. Education Homewood Tenterden Kent Bachelor of Science (BSc) ... Get introduced Contact Keith directly Join to view full profile Others named Keith Wood. The extraordinary levels of recognition achieved by Limerick rugby legends Paul O’Connell and Keith Wood could well have overshadowed the stellar achievements of Peter Clohessy were it not for the remarkable mental and physical resilience of the Young Munster stalwart. 1998 All-Ireland Football Final GALWAY 1-14 KILDARE 1-10 By John Harrington The night before the 1998 All-Ireland SFC Final between Galway and Kildare, Padraic Joyce and Michael Donnellan were watching Match of the Day in their Berkley Court Hotel room. 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