NEWS

Mark O’Keeffe Reaches 50 Caps

On Sunday, March 26th, Mark O’Keeffe became the fortieth player in Major League Rugby to appear in 50 matches.

At a young age, Mark O’Keeffe (Hound #13) began playing Rugby with Landsdowne FC. He would attend St Michael’s College and help lead the school to a Leinster Senior Schools Cup victory in 2012. After St Michael’s, he went on to University College Dublin, where he Trinity – DURFC in the All Ireland League. O’Keeffe played for Leinster U-19s and was later selected for Connacht U-20s. After graduating from University College Dublin, he rejoined Landsdowne FC competing in the AIL.

He first came to MLR in 2019, playing for Rugby United New York (New York #20) in their first season. Following the extended off-season in 2020, he signed with Rugby ATL (Atlanta #42) ahead of the 2021 season, where he went to the MLR Championship, losing to Los Angeles. After the 2021 MLR season, he was named All-MLR Second Team at Inside Center. In 2022 he moved on to play for the Austin Gilgronis, where he would be named to the All-MLR First Team at Outside Center.

Photo by Tequila Graphics

Major League Rugby is honoring the first 50 players to reach 50 caps and their role in building the legacy of MLR. The latest of the first forty players to accomplish 50 caps for MLR includes Zach Pangelinan and Dean Muir of the Houston Sabercats,  and Cole Keith of the New England Free Jacks.

Stay tuned for more announcements as players reach the 50 caps milestone, and cement their spot in Major League Rugby’s history.