Centurion to serve tour of duty with famous Serbian club Red Star Belgrade
St Albans Centurions' Niall Braniff is greeted at Belgrade Airport before his stint with Red Star. - Credit: Archant
Billy Bragg once sang about his uncle playing for Red Star Belgrade – he could now do the same for one player of the St Albans Centurions.
Niall Braniff in the colours of St Albans Centurions. - Credit: Archant
The Toulmin Drive-based rugby league club already have close links with the sport in Serbia as their physio, Len McMain, also doubles up as physio for the Serbian national side.
And because of the link Cents prop Niall Braniff will be running out in the colours of the famous Belgrade club’s rugby league team for the next couple of months.
Braniff flew out to Serbia, where he joined the club for the last few weeks of their season.
This season Red Star are trying and consolidate top spot in the Serbian League and win the Grand Final and also get to the finals of the Balkan Superleague, a competition for teams from Serbia, Hungary, Bosnia, Bulgaria and Turkey.
St Albans Centurions' Len McMain. - Credit: Archant
You may also want to watch:
Braniff said: “I was talking with Len about European rugby league and he just happened to mention that Red Star were looking to strengthen their team in the build up to a very busy end of season.
“I mentioned what a great opportunity it would be to play out there, and, to cut a long story short, Red Star looked at a few videos of me playing, made enquiries and asked me to join them.
Most Read
- 1 St Albans violent crime: 'Intervention needed to break the cycle of grooming'
- 2 St Albans violent crime: Teen drugs gang behind spate of attacks on rivals found guilty
- 3 Man given Criminal Behaviour Order for being drunk in St Albans
- 4 Harpenden arrest in connection with St Albans council fraud probe
- 5 Lost Morecambe & Wise episode to be screened on TV for first time in 50 years
- 6 What are the outstanding schools in Hertfordshire?
- 7 'State-sanctioned abuse' - why the family court system is failing
- 8 Ticket holders need to provide their COVID status for entry to this year's Slam Dunk Festival in Hatfield
- 9 £36 million loan to refinance Maltings Shopping Centre
- 10 Area Guide: The popular Marshalswick area of St Albans
“I’m now just waiting for a few details to be confirmed but I am really looking forward to this experience.”
St Albans Centurions chairman Andy Lake said: “We are all pleased that Niall will be getting the experience of playing in another country.
“Serbia is one of the great success stories of our sport.
“Rugby league started there in 2001, and now there are 17 clubs and over a thousand registered players, and each year the numbers increase.
“Several Serbian players have already had trials with Superleague clubs in this country.”
Braniff will be joined in the Balkans by McMain with Red Star facing eternal rivals in the Serbian Grand Final on Sunday and then the Grand Final of the Balkans Superleague the week after.
