Keith Gerard Earls was born on 2 October 1987 and is an Irish rugby union player for Munster in the United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup.
62 Facts About Keith Earls
2.
Keith Earls began his career as a centre, but now plays primarily on the wing and has occasionally provided cover at fullback.
3.
Keith Earls was born in Moyross, a council estate in Limerick, to Ger and Sandra Keith Earls.
4.
Keith Earls first began playing underage rugby for Thomond, as an openside flanker, and started secondary school at St Munchin's College, before moving to St Nessan's Community College, which was closer to home.
5.
However, a move into midfield led to Keith Earls being convinced to return to St Munchin's, and he won the Munster Schools Rugby Senior Cup with the college in 2006, alongside current Munster and Ireland teammate Conor Murray and at the expense of the current Munster captain and Ireland teammate Peter O'Mahony.
6.
Keith Earls went on to play for Ireland Schools and then joined the Munster Academy, during which time he played for Ireland Under-19s, Ireland Under-20s, with whom he won a Grand Slam during the 2007 Six Nations Under 20s Championship, Ireland 7s and Munster A, before earning a professional contract with Munster and moving to Garryowen.
7.
Keith Earls made his Munster debut against Ospreys in April 2007.
8.
Keith Earls was part of the Munster team that beat Leinster to win the 2011 Magners League Grand Final.
9.
Keith Earls started the reverse fixture away to Perpignan on 14 December 2013.
10.
Keith Earls started against Edinburgh in the Round 6 fixture on 19 January 2014, but went off injured in the first-half.
11.
Keith Earls was ruled out for four months in September 2014 with a knee injury which required surgery.
12.
Keith Earls returned from the injury against Zebre on 10 January 2015.
13.
Keith Earls started against Leicester Tigers in the Champions Cup on 12 December 2015.
14.
In January 2016, Keith Earls signed a new three-year contract with Munster and the IRFU.
15.
Keith Earls was named the 2018 Munster Rugby Player of the Year in April 2018, having previously been nominated for the same award in 2010.
16.
Keith Earls was the Munster Academy Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year in 2007 and 2009 respectively, making him the first Munster player to win all three awards.
17.
Keith Earls signed a contract extension with Munster and the IRFU in October 2018.
18.
Keith Earls signed a contract extension with Munster and the IRFU until the end of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in May 2022.
19.
Keith Earls made his debut for Ireland in November 2008 against Canada in Thomond Park.
20.
Keith Earls scored his first international try with his first touch of the ball.
21.
Keith Earls was selected in Ireland's squad for the 2009 November Tests.
22.
Keith Earls came on for the injured Luke Fitzgerald against Australia and started against Fiji, a game in which he scored two tries, and South Africa.
23.
Keith Earls played in all 5 of Ireland's 2010 Six Nations Championship games, starting 4 of them.
24.
Keith Earls scored a try against England and scored two more against Wales, finishing as joint top try scorer with Tommy Bowe, Shane Williams and James Hook.
25.
Keith Earls was selected in Ireland's squad for their 2010 tour of New Zealand and Australia, though he had to pull out of the squad due to a groin injury.
26.
Keith Earls was in the Ireland squad for the 2010 Autumn Tests, coming on against South Africa, New Zealand and Argentina.
27.
Keith Earls started every game for Ireland during the 2011 Six Nations Championship, four on the left-wing and one at fullback.
28.
Keith Earls was selected in Ireland's squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup warm-ups in August, playing in both tests against France.
29.
Keith Earls was selected in Ireland's final 30-man squad for the World Cup in New Zealand.
30.
Keith Earls was switched to outside-centre against Russia and scored two tries.
31.
Keith Earls scored his fifth World Cup try in Ireland's quarter-final defeat at the hands of Wales.
32.
Keith Earls was selected in Ireland's 24-man squad for the 2012 Six Nations Championship.
33.
Keith Earls was named in the team to face Wales in the opening fixture, but had to withdraw from the team when his recently born daughter was taken ill.
34.
Keith Earls returned to the Ireland team for their game against Italy, scoring a try, and played against France, Scotland and England.
35.
Keith Earls played at inside centre for Ireland in the first test against New Zealand on 9 June 2012, as part of a new centre-combination with Brian O'Driscoll.
36.
Keith Earls missed the second test due to a pectoral injury, but returned to start the third test, this time on the left-wing.
37.
Keith Earls started at 13 for Ireland in the opening 2012 Guinness Series test against South Africa on 10 November 2012, and again against Argentina on 24 November 2012.
38.
Keith Earls came into the starting XV against Scotland after Simon Zebo's injury, starting in his place on the left-wing.
39.
Keith Earls started against Italy in the final game of the tournament, but went off injured in the 24th minute.
40.
On 23 October 2013, Keith Earls was named in the Ireland squad for the 2013 Autumn Tests.
41.
Keith Earls was named in the Ireland squad for their 2014 Tour to Argentina on 19 May 2014.
42.
However, Keith Earls was ruled out of the tour with a viral infection.
43.
Keith Earls started for Ireland Wolfhounds in their game against England Saxons on 30 January 2015.
44.
Keith Earls was named in the Ireland squad for the opening rounds of the 2015 Six Nations Championship on 1 February 2015.
45.
Keith Earls was named in the 45-man training squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup on 24 June 2015.
46.
Keith Earls started the warm-up game against Wales on 29 August 2015.
47.
Keith Earls was selected in the final 31-man squad for the World Cup when it was announced on 1 September 2015.
48.
Keith Earls started the opening pool game against Canada on 19 September 2015.
49.
On 20 January 2016, Keith Earls was named in Ireland's 35-man squad for the 2016 Six Nations Championship.
50.
On 25 May 2016, Keith Earls was named in the 32-man Ireland squad to tour South Africa in a 3-test series.
51.
On 11 June 2016, Keith Earls started in Ireland's historic first test win against South Africa in South Africa.
52.
On 26 October 2016, Keith Earls was named in Ireland's squad for the 2016 end-of-year rugby union internationals.
53.
However, his two-week suspension as a result of the red card he received against Glasgow Warriors meant that Keith Earls missed Ireland's historic first ever victory against New Zealand in Soldier Field, Chicago on 5 November 2016.
54.
On 23 January 2017, Keith Earls was named in the Ireland squad for the opening two rounds of the 2017 Six Nations Championship.
55.
Keith Earls was selected in the squad for the 2017 Summer Tour against the United States and Japan.
56.
Keith Earls started every game for Ireland as they won a Grand Slam in the 2018 Six Nations Championship, scoring a try against Italy.
57.
Keith Earls won the Players' Player of the Year award at the 2018 Rugby Players Ireland Awards in May of that year, becoming the fourth Munster player in a row to win the award after Paul O'Connell, CJ Stander and Conor Murray.
58.
Keith Earls was selected in the 31-man Ireland squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, despite injury preventing Keith Earls from featuring in the first three warm-up matches.
59.
Keith Earls missed Ireland's 2022 Autumn Nations Series due to a thigh injury.
60.
Keith Earls made his Lions debut on 30 May 2009, in a nervy, error-strewn performance against a South African Royal XV.
61.
Keith Earls played against Western Province and Southern Kings in mid-week games, but he did not win any full Lions caps on the tour.
62.
Keith Earls released his autobiography - Fight or Flight: My Life, My Choices - in October 2021.