Olsi Krasniqi takes surprise head coaching role

Drew Darbyshire
Olsi Krasniqi

London Broncos prop Olsi Krasniqi has been appointed head coach of Hemel Stags.

The 29-year-old Albanian is a product of the London Junior Rugby League. He has made more than 200 career appearances for London, Salford and Toronto Wolfpack.

Krasniqi is currently head coach of St Mary’s College in Twickenham in the Student Rugby League Premier Division. In addition, he has experience of coaching the London Broncos academy.

Hemel Stags delighted to appoint Olsi Krasniqi

A club statement read: “We wish to announce the appointment of Olsi Krasniqi as non-playing head coach for our 2022 Southern Conference League season.

“The club sees the appointment of Olsi as the first step in becoming a force in the Southern Conference League; the main development league in the south of England and Wales.”

From Canada to Cornwall: Ottawa Aces relocate

Cornwall founder Eric Perez has named three ambitious objectives for rugby league’s newest club.

Professional rugby league will head to Cornwall for the first time after they were given the go ahead to play in League 1 next season.

Furthermore, following the decision to relocate Canadian club Ottawa Aces to permanently relocate to the UK, Perez has taken the ‘licence’ they purchased from Hemel Stags to the south west.

Perez said: “We’re permanently re-locating back to England. Moving to Cornwall makes it a truly national sport.

“I’ve been working on this for about four or five months now. If you dig deep into it, Cornwall and the north of England are extremely similar places, with its culture and industrial history with its mines and fishing.

“The class system is not there. It’s a rugby league place waiting to happen and it’s the first true south west expansion.

“There’s a massive untapped talent resource there because everybody in Cornwall picks up an oval ball.

“I have three goals. One is to walk out at Old Trafford for the Super League Grand Final, the second is to build up rugby league across Cornwall and the third is to have Cornish players playing for England.”

READ MORE: Toronto Wolfpack cannot headline a decade of expansion fails

More RL Hemel Stags