Aaron Sexton had a big decision to make during the summer.

The 18-year-old signed an Academy contract with Ulster Rugby in June and, the following month, almost won a medal in the 200m final at the European Under-20 Championships in Sweden.

That race marked the end of a glittering junior athletics career as the former Bangor Grammar pupil decided to leave sprinting behind and concentrate on professional rugby.

Bryn Cunningham went to the same school as Sexton and had a similar choice to make as a teenager - though with a few more options - with the now Ulster Rugby operations director having to select from one of four sports he was playing at youth international level.

Cunningham represented Ireland in tennis, cricket, squash and rugby - as well as being invited for trials with football giants Manchester United and Rangers - before going on to have a stellar career with Ulster.

"Rugby was actually the sport I was worst at when I was younger," said the 41-year-old former full-back, who played over 150 games for Ulster.

"I had older brothers who were big into rugby while my mum and dad were also into tennis, cricket and squash. As a result, I just played everything I could.

"I'm convinced that I was only able to have the career I had in rugby because of the experiences I had in developing ball skills and hand-eye co-ordination in other sports."

'I sometimes look back and wonder'

That career included being part of Ulster's victorious 1999 European Cup-winning squad before going on to become one of the province's most consistent performers over the next decade.

However, it could have been very different had he accepted an invitation to the tennis school in the US which helped develop world number ones such as Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Monica Seles.

"With the tennis, I had to make a decision at 14 as to whether I wanted to take it really seriously and move out of the country," explained Cunningham, who was forced to retire in 2010 after persistent injury problems.

"I remember being at home and a letter arriving from the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. I was definitely keen but I knew I was a bit of a 'home-bird' as well.

"Also, even at that age, I was aware that being the top in Ireland was fine, but when you went across to European tournaments there were kids who were playing tennis for three or four hours every day. They were already well down the road to becoming a professional.

"I was also quite small for my age back then, so struggled physically. I shot up a bit a year later and sometimes look back and wonder if I could have had more of a chance at the tennis if I had given it another year."

Sexton's a 'genetic freak'

Turning his thoughts to Sexton, it is clear their attendance at the same school is not the only reason for Cunningham's enthusiasm about the 18-year-old winger.

The former sprinter is yet to feature in any of Ulster head coach Dan McFarland's first-team squads, but the operations director is excited by his potential.

"Aaron is one of those guys we call a genetic freak," Cunningham remarked. "He is ridiculously fast and the exciting thing is that he is not just a straight-line runner.

"We have seen how he can move laterally as well. He can go side-to-side, he can side-step and he can pick his pace up when he needs to as well.

"Another important thing about Aaron is that his athletics background has given him a great understanding of a high-performance environment.

"The amount of hours you have to dedicate to becoming a high-level athlete is huge and, being used to that, means Aaron is probably further ahead of the curve than a lot of other guys coming into the academy."

'We knew there were naysayers'

Ulster are enjoying an impressive season, with Dan McFarland's men completing four wins from four European outings when they won away to Harlequins on Friday night, having beaten them in Belfast the previous weekend.

They have won five of their seven Pro14 matches this campaign and are unbeaten at home in 17 matches, a sequence stretching back 14 months.

Their recent form follows what was a positive first campaign in charge for McFarland in 2018-19, something which Cunningham acknowledged was important given the on and off-pitch challenges the squad had faced during the previous season.

"It was a big season for us because there were a lot of naysayers who felt that Ulster Rugby maybe wasn't in the best place," he said.

"There were big changes in the squad, with some of the old guard who had contributed a lot to Ulster and Ireland having gone. People wondered if there was a lack of leaders and whether that would have an impact on the squad.

"But you have to give huge credit to everyone across the whole organisation who all pulled together last season. There is a clear focus on what we want to attain and everyone is bought-in to the culture,"

'I still get the buzz but not the hits'

Five years after taking up his current post at the Kingspan Stadium, Cunningham is delighted to still be involved in rugby nine years after being forced to retire from playing.

"It's very hard to replicate the buzz you got when you were playing, but one of the reasons I've stayed in the sport is that I sometimes get that same feeling now while on the staff," he explained.

"It's still the same level of excitement, with the difference being that I don't have to take the hits and the knocks. I can walk away from the game in the evening refreshed and not having to sit in an ice bath.

"It's a great role and I'm very fortunate to be in it. I think my skills are well suited to the job and I'm glad to be able to have an impact on Ulster Rugby."

And, is that impact likely to ever be in a coaching capacity?

"In one word, 'no'," Cunningham states.

"I'm not a tracksuit coach. It's quite a volatile world where you have to up-sticks and move, but I'm quite settled with my family with the role I'm in.

"Myself and Dan [McFarland, Ulster head coach] have a great relationship and speak a lot, but I certainly don't offer advice on coaching."