Grant Keenan
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| Date of birth | 8 April 1968 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Leeston, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||
| School | Lincoln High School | ||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Auckland Business School | ||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||
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Grant Keenan (born 8 April 1968) is an New Zealand rugby union coach and former half-back for Canterbury. Keenan is currently the technical advisor for the U.S. national rugby team. Previous to this appointment, Keenan was the High Performance Manager for the Hino Red Dolphins in the country’s top tier Japan Rugby League One from 2021 to 2023.
Coaching Career
Keenan successfully coached the Ponsonby Rugby Club from 2003 to 2006, winning the coveted Gallaher Shield 3 years in a row in 2004, 2005, and 2006. From 2007 to 2012 Keenan was skills, backs & attack coach for Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi based in Kariya City, Japan. On his return to New Zealand from Japan, Keenan was the assistant coach of the Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union (MCRFU) in 2013 and 2014 winning the Heartland Championship's coveted Meads Cup both years. In 2015 Keenan was appointed as head coach of both the MCRFU and the New Zealand Heartland XV.[1]
In 2017, Keenan was the backs & skills coach for the New Zealand women's national rugby union team, the Black Ferns. The Black Ferns won the Women's Rugby World Cup in Ireland in 2017. That same year, the Black Ferns became the first women’s team to ever be named the World Rugby Team of the Year.[2]
Keenan returned to Canterbury to lead the Canterbury U19 side to the 2019 National Championship and in 2020 and 2021 Keenan was the assistant coach of Canterbury in the National Provincial Championship (NPC). From 2021 to 2023, Keenan was the High Performance Manager for the Hino Red Dolphins in Japan Rugby League One.
Currently, Keenan serves as a technical advisor to the U.S. national rugby team and is the director of Crusaders International Academy.[3]
References
External links
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