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| Full name | Keiron Cunningham | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1976-10-28)28 October 1976 (age 48) St Helens,Merseyside, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.76 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 16 st 12 lb (107 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Hooker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaching information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Relatives | Eddie Cunningham (brother) Tommy Cunningham (brother) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Keiron Cunningham (born 28 October 1976) is a professionalrugby league coach and former player. AGreat Britain andWales international representativehooker, he played his entire professional career atSt Helens, making nearly 500 appearances for the club between 1994 and 2010 and winning numerous trophies.[1][2] He has been frequently cited as being among the best players in theSuper League history and is widely regarded to be one of St Helens' greatest players of all time.[4][5][6][7]
The youngest of ten siblings, two of his brothers,Eddie Cunningham andTommy Cunningham, also played for St Helens. Keiron Cunningham was born five months after his brother Eddie won a Rugby LeagueChallenge Cup winner's medal for St Helens againstWidnes.[8]
Following his retirement as a player, Cunningham remained at St Helens as an assistant coach, and was head coach of the club between 2015 and 2017.[3][9]
In 1993, on his 17th birthday, Cunningham signed for his hometown clubSt Helens fromWigan St Judes.[10] He made his début in the1994–95 Rugby Football League season, and soon established himself as a world class hooker, renowned for his dynamic running fromdummy half and ability to poach tries from short distances. He represented bothGreat Britain andWales in international matches, qualifying for Wales because of a Welsh grandfather.
Keiron Cunningham playedhooker, and scored atry inSt. Helens' 16-25 defeat byWigan in the1995–96 Regal Trophy Final during the1995–96 atAlfred McAlpine Stadium,Huddersfield on Saturday 13 January 1996.[11]
Cunningham played for St Helens at hooker in the1996 Challenge Cup Final, scoring a try in the second half of the match and helping his team to a 40-32 victory over theBradford Bulls.[12] At the end of 1996'sSuper League I, Cunningham was named at hooker in the 1996Super League Dream Team. Cunningham played for St Helens athooker in their1999 Super League Grand Final victory over theBradford Bulls. Also in 1999 he was the only British player voted into the World XIII.[13]
Cunningham played for St Helens athooker in their2000 Super League Grand Final victory against theWigan Warriors. AsSuper League V champions, St Helens played against2000 NRL Premiers, theBrisbane Broncos in the2001 World Club Challenge. Cunningham played athooker in Saints' victory.
Cunningham played for St. Helens athooker in their2002 Super League Grand Final victory against theBradford Bulls.
Over the course of his career, Cunningham rejected offers from theWelsh Rugby Union,England Rugby Union, and from various Australian rugby league clubs, instead choosing to remain with his hometown team. In 2006 Cunningham was named as captain of St. Helens following the persistent injuries and subsequent retirement ofPaul Sculthorpe. Cunningham played for St. Helens athooker in their2006 Challenge Cup Final victory against theHuddersfield Giants. St Helens reached the2006 Super League Grand final to be contested againstHull FC, and Cunningham played athooker, scoring atry in Saints' 26-4 victory. As 2006 Super League champions, St Helens faced 2006 NRL Premiers theBrisbane Broncos in the2007 World Club Challenge. Cunningham played from the interchange bench in Saints' 18-14 victory.
He played in the2009 Super League Grand Final defeat by theLeeds Rhinos atOld Trafford.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]
In 2010, Cunningham announced that he would be retiring from rugby league following the culmination of 2010'sSuper League XV.[26] 2010 also marked the last year at St Helens'Knowsley Road ground before moving to a new stadium. It was, in fact, Kieron Cunningham who scored the last try ever at the prestigious ground in his penultimate match. However, despite a memorable 2010 play-offs for Cunningham, there was to be no fairytale ending as his last game ended in defeat against arch rivals theWigan Warriors in the2010 Super League Grand Final.
He finished his career with 496 appearances for St Helens,[27] scoring 175 tries.
During his career he won five Super League Championships, seven Challenge Cup Winners Medals and two World Club Challenge Winners medals, was named in theSuper League Dream Team on six occasions,[28] and in July 2007Rugby League World magazine ranked him as the greatest player of theSuper League era.
Following a supporters' poll featuring the likes ofTom van Vollenhoven andAlex Murphy, Cunningham was chosen to be cast as a bronze statue outside ofLangtree Park.[29] The statue was unveiled on Chalon Way opposite the Glass House pub in March 2010[30] and was relocated to the stadium following its completion in October 2011.[31]
Following his retirement as a player, Cunningham took up an assistant coaching role in the strength and conditioning department at St Helens. After the sacking ofRoyce Simmons in 2012 he was appointed assistant head coach of St Helens, working alongside temporary head coach Mike Rush.
On Monday 20 October 2014, Cunningham was appointed ashead coach ofSt Helens. He appointed former Saints teammateSean Long to assist him for his role.[32] On 10 April 2017 it was announced on the BBC North West Today lunchtime bulletin that Cunningham had been sacked after 24 years associated with the club.
