Keiron Cunningham
Merseyside, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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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Keiron Cunningham (born 28 October 1976) is a professional rugby league coach and former player. A Great Britain and Wales international representative hooker, he played his entire professional career at St 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 the Super 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 and Tommy Cunningham, also played for St Helens. Keiron Cunningham was born five months after his brother Eddie won a Rugby League Challenge Cup winner's medal for St Helens against Widnes.[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]
Playing career
In 1993, on his 17th birthday, Cunningham signed for his hometown club St Helens from Wigan St Judes.[10] He made his début in the 1994–95 Rugby Football League season, and soon established himself as a world class hooker, renowned for his dynamic running from dummy half and ability to poach tries from short distances. He represented both Great Britain and Wales in international matches, qualifying for Wales because of a Welsh grandfather.
Keiron Cunningham played
Cunningham played for St Helens at hooker in the
Cunningham played for St Helens at
Cunningham played for St. Helens at hooker in their 2002 Super League Grand Final victory against the Bradford Bulls.
Over the course of his career, Cunningham rejected offers from the
He played in the 2009 Super League Grand Final defeat by the Leeds Rhinos at Old 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's
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 the Super League Dream Team on six occasions,[28] and in July 2007 Rugby League World magazine ranked him as the greatest player of the Super League era.
Following a supporters' poll featuring the likes of
Coaching career
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 of Royce 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 as head coach of St Helens. He appointed former Saints teammate Sean 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.
References
- ^ a b "Profile at loverugbyleague.com". loverugbyleague.com. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ a b "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ a b "Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ Cunningham finds permanent place with his Saints. Theguardian.com (8 February 2009). Retrieved on 2016-01-31.
- ^ Robbie Paul hails Saint Helens Keiron Cunningham the best. BBC News (1 March 2010). Retrieved on 2016-01-31.
- ^ Keiron Cunningham. Saints.org.uk. Retrieved on 31 January 2016.
- ^ Burke, David (10 October 2007) Keiron Cunningham was born to play for Saints. Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved on 31 January 2016.
- ^ "Big brother rules out Keiron claim". BBC.co.uk. BBC Sport. 8 August 2001. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
- ^ Keiron Cunningham: St Helens part company with head coach
- ^ "Cunningham backs league cause". BBC Sport. 7 August 2001. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
- ^ "13th January 1996: St Helens 16 Wigan 25 (Regal Trophy Final)". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2014. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
- ^ "steveprescottfoundation.co.uk". Steve Prescott Stats. Steve Prescott Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 August 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- ^ "World Cup Star - Keiron Cunningham". sportinglife.com. sportinglife.com. 2000. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
- ^ "Rhinos Take Super League Title". Sky News. 11 October 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ Burke, David (11 October 2009). "Smith's Crisp". The Daily Mirror. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ AFP (11 October 2009). "Leeds makes it Super League hat-trick". ABC News. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ AAP (11 October 2009). "Leeds claim third successive Grand Final". nrl. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ Linfoot, Ben (10 October 2009). "Grand Final: Leeds Rhinos 18 St Helens 10". Sky Sports. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ Correspondent (12 October 2009). "Potter refuses to blame video ref". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ Fletcher, Paul (10 October 2009). "St Helens 10-18 Leeds Rhinos". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ "Third time unlucky as Saints fail to halt Rhinos' charge to title". Liverpool Daily Post. 12 October 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ "Sinfield hails winning culture". The Daily Mirror. 11 October 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ Stewart, Rob (12 October 2009). "Lee Smith targets place in England rugby union team after Grand Final victory". The Telegraph. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ "Sinfield hails historic title win". BBC Sport. 11 October 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ "Leeds Rhinos fans in homecoming welcome". Yorkshire Evening Post. 12 October 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ "Cunningham looking to end on a high". BBC. 26 January 2010. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ Slater, Gary (3 October 2010). "Michael Maguire plots new Wigan dynasty following Grand Final win over St Helens". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
- ^ "2008 engage Super League Dream Team". Super League. 15 September 2008. Archived from the original on 21 July 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2008.
- ^ "Cunningham statue moves to new stadium". St Helens Star. 18 October 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
- ^ Kilmurray, Andrew (4 March 2010). "Saints' Keiron Cunningham 'humbled' by bronze statue". St Helens Star. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ^ "Keiron Cunningham statue moves to new Saints rugby league stadium". St Helens Star. 18 October 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ^ Sean Long returns to St Helens as Keiron Cunningham’s assistant coach| Sport. The Guardian (17 November 2014). Retrieved on 2016-01-31.
External links
- (archived by web.archive.org) St Helens profile
- (archived by web.archive.org) Keiron's Korner
- Profile at saints.org.uk