Irish centre/wing Mark O’Keeffe played in Major League Rugby between 2019-2024. He represented Rugby United New York (now the Rugby New York Ironworkers) (2019-2020), Rugby ATL (2021), the Austin Gilgronis (2022), and the Chicago Hounds (2023-2024).

Prior to MLR, O’Keeffe played with Lansdowne FC in Division 1A of the Ulster Bank All-Ireland League. He had also played with the Leinster U19s and Connacht U20s in his youth. His initial move stateside was announced by Rugby United New York in January 2019 ahead of their inaugural season in MLR that year. He earned 14 caps in his debut season (13 starts), scoring 4 tries as the Roosters made the playoffs in their first season. O’Keeffe remained in New York for the 2020 season, earning 3 more caps (all starts) and another try before COVID-19 shut the season down after only 5 rounds.

O’Keeffe has been a stalwart in the starting lineups of every team he has been in, earning a total of 67 caps (61 starts) across 4 MLR franchises through the 2024 regular season, and has played in the inaugural seasons of 2 of those clubs, Rugby United New York in 2019, and the Chicago Hounds in 2023. While representing Rugby ATL in the 2021 season, O’Keeffe earned 4 MLR Team of the Week selections, only NY’s Nate Brakeley received more (5). For his performance in 2021, he was awarded an All-MLR 2nd XV selection. O’Keeffe has scored over 5 tries in 2 seasons, with a high of 8 in 14 games (all starts) for the Austin Gilgronis in 2022 when he finished T-7th league-wide in try scoring and 9th league-wide for Meters Gained, with 1,215m, bettering his effort from 2021 earning an All-MLR 1st XV selection. As of the conclusion of the 2024 season, O’Keeffe had scored 25 tries in MLR, placing him T-9th All-Time.

Along with his 2021 All-MLR 2nd XV and 2022 All-MLR 1st XV selections O’Keeffe has earned 11 Team of the Week selections, at least two for every team he has represented. On 22nd November 2023, the Chicago Hounds announced the return of Mark O’Keeffe for the 2024 MLR season, just before the start of which it came out that World Rugby had granted O’Keeffe US-eligibility along with fellow Irishman and former New York and ATL teammate Will Leonard. This means that for matchday rosters, O’Keeffe will count as a domestic player rather than against the team’s international count. On November 16th, 2024, O’Keeffe earned his international debut for the USA as Eagle #584 in a dominant 36-17 victory over Tonga in France.

Achievements:

• MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Round 5
• MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Round 1
• T-7th in MLR Try Scoring: 2022 (8)
• 9th in MLR Meters Gained: 2022 (1,215m)
• All-MLR 1st XV Selection: 2022 (Austin Gilgronis)
• MLR Team of the Week: 2022 – Round 11
• MLR Team of the Week: 2022 – Round 3
• MLR Team of the Week: 2022 – Round 1
• 2021 MLR Runner-Up: Rugby ATL
• All-MLR 2nd XV Selection: 2021 (Rugby ATL)
• MLR Team of the Week: 2021 – Round 9
• MLR Team of the Week: 2021 – Round 8
• MLR Team of the Week: 2021 – Round 5
• MLR Team of the Week: 2021 – Round 3
• MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Round 9
• MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Round 7