Rugby Union: Ashes series tipped balance for Keiron

The prospect of playing in the first Ashes Series for seven years helped persuade Keiron Cunningham to turn his back on a switch to rugby union.

Jason Robinson and Henry Paul cited the attraction of international rugby union as reasons behind their ‘‘defections’’ but Cunningham was happy to beat the drum for the embattled 13-man game when he ended the guessing game over his future.

Cunningham’s decision to sign a two-year extension to his St Helens contract shocked the Wales Rugby Union, who were confident of being able to parade the player dubbed the world’s greatest hooker alongside Iestyn Harris at a news conference at the Millennium Stadium today.

The 24-year-old Cunningham led Wales against England in the absence of Harris a week ago and is looking forward to helping Great Britain plot their first Ashes Series victory for 31 years at the end of the domestic season.

‘‘It was a great honour to captain Wales,’’ he said. ‘‘As any rugby league player will tell you, they love playing for their country, whether it’s Great Britain, England, Wales or Ireland.

‘‘I love playing for Wales and even more so for Great Britain and the prospect of playing in the Ashes Series at the end of the year really does excite me.

‘‘We’ve got a great chance. We have some very good players, the game is just getting better and better.’’

Cunningham, who has pledged his future to St Helens until the end of the 2005 season, has been first or second-choice Great Britain hooker since 1996 and will be one of the first names to go on new national coach David Waite’s team sheet for the three-match series with the Kangaroos in November.

Britain have won only one of their last 11 matches against Australia and New Zealand but Cunningham senses the feel-good factor returning to the game, particularly after the success of the England Academy team Down Under.

‘‘Strides are being made and I think David Waite is going to do a great job,’’ he said. ‘‘He’s going to take the international scene forward.

‘‘Look at how well the young kids are going in Australia and New Zealand. When I was young, there was nothing like that. It’s all about framing the future. These kids are going to come through and make a better Great Britain. The international scene will definitely get better.’’