Cracknell commits until 2020

Jan 18 • General News, Guinness Pro14 • 1635 Views • Comments Off on Cracknell commits until 2020

Ospreys Rugby are delighted to announce that flanker Olly Cracknell has signed a new two-year contract.

The 23-year old, one of the Guinness PRO14’s in form back rowers this season, has agreed a deal that ties him to the Liberty Stadium until summer 2020.

Cracknell arrived at the Ospreys four years ago as a 20-year old via hometown Leeds and rugby playing spells in South Africa and Colwyn Bay, and has developed into a combative, all action player who brings real physicality to the pack.

Official OPTA/PRO14 stats for this season see the Welsh qualified Yorkshireman topping the charts for the most tackles (156) and carries (158), highlighting his outstanding recent form.

He has also completed more tackles than any other Ospreys player in the Champions Cup this season, 52 in four games so far.

“I’m very happy to sign another deal” Cracknell said after putting pen to paper.

“I’ve been here four years now, time’s flown by, I’m excited to be staying here for another two years.

“I’ve gained a lot of experience and learned a lot since I came here. I took an unconventional route to Swansea I suppose, a different sort of experience to some of the other guys, and I want to keep learning and improving.

“It’s fantastic to be a part of this squad, with some great players to learn from. I’m playing regularly, I’ve been involved in some big games, and I believe this is an environment that will allow me to keep developing and get more experience of big games against top sides.”

A former Wales U20 cap, Cracknell made his debut during his first season with the Ospreys, against Gloucester in the Anglo Welsh Cup in January 2015, one of three appearances that campaign.

Since then, the former Wales U20 cap has established himself as a key member of the squad, featuring regularly in the PRO12/14 and in Europe, playing across all three positions in the back row.

Awarded his Ospreys cap last month after making his 50th appearance for the region in the bonus point Champions Cup win over Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens he now has 55 games and three tries to his name.

Ospreys Head Coach, Steve Tandy, welcomed today’s news, saying:

“Crackers’ is a mountain for us, he’s someone who is really starting to show the kind of consistency that has taken his game up several levels, and we are delighted that he sees his future at the Ospreys.

“He does a phenomenal amount of work every time he steps onto the field, he leaves nothing out there. The stats tell a story on their own but there’s a lot more to his game. He puts his body on the line every week and his attention to detail is phenomenal in every aspect of his preparation and recovery. Olly has a very bright future ahead of him, we are all just really pleased that we’ll have his services for another two years at least.”