Irish international and Leinster rugby player, Rob Kearney joined his fellow UCD students for a conferring ceremony on 26 April 2010 where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Last year, during an interview for UCD Today, the university magazine, Kearney said that without the support he received from staff and union officials, progressing with his Economics degree would have been near impossible. In 2009, Kearney was presented with a UCD President’s Award for Excellence in Student Activities.

Having made an impression when he played for Clongowes, Kearney made his debut for Leinster in 2005. Though he was a member of the Six Nations Irish squad in 2007, he did not get his first cap until the national side's tour to Argentina later that year. He made his Six Nations debut against Italy in February 2008. He went on to win caps in the following games in the competition for the national side.

After an amazing start with Leinster in 2009, which saw the full back energize the team, he was again picked for the national side's Six Nations games and went on to finish with the team with its historic Grand Slam victory.

There were a number of other UCD students and graduates on the Grand Slam Irish rugby team including: Brian O’Driscoll (UCD graduate), Gordon D’Arcy (studying for his BA in Geography), Jamie Heaslip (studying for his Masters in Management), and Paddy Wallace (UCD graduate).