Keith Wood

As of November 9, 2003

Keith Gerard Mallinson Wood ( born January 27, 1972 in Killaloe ) is a former Irish rugby union player who played at the position Haklers. He was captain of the Irish national team and active in two tours of the British and Irish Lions.

His nickname " Raging Potato ' he got because of his shaved head. Because of the similarity to the eponymous character from the " Addams Family", he was known as " Uncle Fester ". His father Gordon Wood was also rugby players and came to a total of 29 caps for Ireland.

Keith began his career in the Limerick Garryowen FC. There he was part of the team that won the Irish Cup in 1992 and 1994. In 1995 he moved to the Harlequins to England. In the 1999/2000 season, he returned to Ireland to play one season for Munster. The team this year came up in the final of the European Rugby Cup, where it was defeated by the Northampton Saints at 8:9. Then he returned to the Harlequins and ended there in 2003 his club career.

Wood gave his international debut in 1994, when Ireland took on Australia. During his playing days, he went to a total of 58 missions for his country. He was known especially for his unlimited commitment and hard tackles. He was until 2003 the national team captain and was replaced after the World Cup in Australia by Brian O'Driscoll. 1997 and 2001 he was also invited to tour the British and Irish Lions and came to five appearances.

He was appointed " IRB World Player of the Year " in 2001 and was the first player who has been given this honor. In 2005, the recording was followed into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. He holds the record for the most goals attempts a Haklers in the history of rugby. In the 1999 World Cup he scored four tries in a game even when the Irish met in the preliminary round to the United States.

Since end of his career Wood works for the BBC and the Daily Telegraph as a freelance journalist and the board of the London Irish.