IRELAND AND Leinster's Rob Kearney says he is very grateful for having the chance to live out his “childhood dream after playing for 16 years in professional rugby.
The former full-back featured for Leinster, Ireland, Australian Super Rugby side the Western Force and the British and Irish Lions throughout his glittering career and was set to end his time with rugby with the Barbarians against Samoa on Saturday.
The game was called off due to the emergence of a new variant called Omicron. There have been six positive cases of covid-19 in the Barbarians’ squad.
Although it has come as a massive let down for the 35-year-old, he says that he is grateful for having the chance to play rugby for so long.
“Absolutely gutted not to have gotten one last run out yesterday with the Barbarians but a sincere thanks for all the kind messages and well wishes, I lived my childhood dream and I am very grateful for that,” Kearney tweeted.
Absolutely gutted not to have gotten one last run out yesterday with the @Barbarian_FC but a sincere thanks for all the kind messages and well wishes, I lived my childhood dream and I am very grateful for that.
PS Thanks to whoever made the below image pic.twitter.com/A6NgIVaBfi— Rob Kearney (@KearneyRob) November 28, 2021
Kearney's time with Leinster and Ireland was a golden period in each side’s history. The Dundalk native won six league titles, one European Challenge Cup, four Heineken Champions Cup titles, as well as four Six Nations Championships.
He also attended the British and Irish Lions tours, before jetting off to Australia to join Southern Hemisphere club, Western Force.
While Kearney’s professional rugby days are over, he may continue to play Gaelic football with Cooley Kickhams for a while yet.
Louth , Ireland - 22 August 2021; Former Ireland and Leinster rugby union players Rob Kearney playing for Cooley Kickhams (Photo By Philip Fitzpatrick/Sportsfile via Getty Images)