Cunningham says he has no regrets about not switching codes

The rugby league legend and St Helens hooker was desperately close to switching codes and signing for Welsh side Swansea in 2001.

He tells the BBC's Sport Wales show family reasons stopped the move.

But the Welsh Rugby Union claimed at the time he failed to provide proof of his eligibility to play for Wales and that is why the switch broke down.

Feature:Kieron Cunningham

The 30-year-old has become the most successful player in the Super League era, winning 13 major medals in a glittering career with the Merseyside club.

I had a gut feeling telling me it was wrong, and if you generally go with your gut instincts, you don't go far wrong Kieron Cunningham

"That was the closest I came to leaving St Helens," he said.

"I had the contract in the house. But it was the night before it was going to be announced I'd be a WRU player that I decided to go against it," Cunningham tells the programme.

"I had a gut feeling telling me it was wrong, and if you generally go with your gut instincts, you don't go far wrong.

"Financially, it was a far greater incentive to go and play down in Wales. But I wouldn't have wanted to fall flat on my face and spoil the reputation it took me a long time to get.

"My background and my family are very important to me and I think that, deep down, they wanted me to stay at St Helens."

Cunningham, who is preparing for what he hopes will be a record sixth Super League Grand Final triumph this weekend, has represented Wales at rugby league and qualifies because of a Welsh grandfather.

"It's obviously disappointing because he is a quality player," said Wales team manager Alan Phillips at the time.

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"But it is better to find out now because we were making a heavy investment in him."

And Cunningham claims to be baffled as to why the allegations about his eligibility surfaced.

"I couldn't understand why it (the claims about his eligibility) came out," he said.

"I had the opportunity to play for Wales or England and when I chose Wales it was seen as the lesser of the two sides," he said.

"I didn't want to play for anyone else. It was just something I wanted to do.

"I've got a lot of family and friends who still live in south Wales and I don't think my life would've been worth living had I chosen to play for England."

Sport Wales is on BBC 2W on Thursday at 2200 BST.