Mark O’Keeffe has signed with the Austin Gilgronis for the 2022 Major League Rugby season. He makes the move west from 2021 Eastern Conference champions Rugby ATL. It’s the third MLR club for the 27-year-old Irishman, having played the 2019 and 2020 campaigns for Rugby United New York.
O’Keeffe enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2021, proving one of the most effective attacking centers in the league. He was a late addition to the squad and played 13 of the club’s remaining 16 games. Initially played on the wing, he settled into the No13 jersey in the second half of the season.
The move is not unexpected. ATL co-captain Ryan Nell has returned to full fitness and started ahead of O’Keeffe in the Conference and Championship Finals. The AG’s will feature a revamped backline in 2022 with O’Keeffe joining fellow arrivals Ryan Louwrens, Marcel Brache, and Julián Domínguez.