North Wales Crusaders

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North Wales Crusaders
North Wales Crusaders logo.png
Club information
Full nameNorth Wales Crusaders Rugby League Football Club
Short nameCrusaders
ColoursNWCrucolours.png
Founded2011; 10 years ago (2011)
Websitenorthwalescrusaders.com
Current details
Ground(s)
ChairmanIan Edwards
CoachMike Grady
ManagerAnthony Murray
Captain
CompetitionBetfred League 1 (from 2015)
2019 RFL League 17th
Rugby football current event.png
Uniforms
Home colours
Away colours
Records
Northern Rail Bowl1 (2013)
Championship 11 (2013)
Most capped69 -
Highest points scorer514 -

The North Wales Crusaders (Welsh: Croesgadwyr Gogledd Cymru Rygbi'r Gynghrair) is a professional rugby league club based in Wrexham, Wales. They are the successors to the former Super League club Crusaders Rugby League. Crusaders compete in Betfred League 1, the third tier of European rugby league (behind the Super League and Betfred Championship). Until the end of 2016 they played their home games at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. From 2017 they are based at the Queensway Stadium (also in Wrexham) but will also play several games at Hare Lane in Chester.[1] For 2021 the club temporarily moved to the Stadiwm Zip World in Colwyn Bay.[2]

History[]

A Crusaders game in 2008

Celtic Warriors[]

In the summer of 2003, the WRU voted to reduce the top tier of Welsh professional rugby union from nine clubs into five regions. The Celtic Warriors officially represented the Mid-Glamorgan Valleys area, which in practice meant that they were a combination of Pontypridd RFC and Bridgend RFC.

Financial problems at Pontypridd RFC led to the sale of their half of the Warriors to Bridgend RFC owner Leighton Samuel, which he gifted to the WRU. He then later sold his half to the WRU who in the summer of 2004 decided to liquidate the club.

Celtic Crusaders[]

Main article: Crusaders Rugby League

Leighton Samuel was approached by the RFL to form a rugby league club and join the professional ranks. The new Celtic Crusaders were argued to be a continuation of the old Celtic Warriors side[by whom?] and were based at Bridgend's Brewery Field.

In 2009, the team were awarded a Super League licence and played one season in Super League before financial problems saw the club renamed Crusaders Rugby League and moved to Wrexham. The club created an academy side for players based in North Wales known as North Wales Crusaders. After two seasons at Wrexham, the club pulled out from bidding for a 2012 Super League licence.

North Wales Crusaders[]

The club was founded in 2011 following the folding of Crusaders Rugby League. They officially joined Championship 1, the third tier of rugby league in the United Kingdom, on 11 October 2011. Their name, which continues the Crusaders branding, was selected in a fan contest.[3][4] A rival bid from Wrexham-based was withdrawn.

The club held open trials for any new players to attend.[5]

North Wales Crusaders won their first game, a friendly, 34–12 away to Leigh East.

Symbols[]

The club have revealed a logo ready for use in the 2012 season which an evolution of the 2011 logo. The badge, inspired by the Prince of Wales's feathers, has three white feathers adorning the centre of a disc with the Flag of St David on. To the left and right of the feathers, the words "North" and "Wales" appear on the disc as opposed to "Rugby" and "League" on the old logo. Beneath the feathers remains "Crusaders".

Stadiums[]

Racecourse Ground stadium, Wrexham

North Wales Crusaders were first based at the Racecourse Ground located in Wrexham. The club moved to the ground in 2010, in time for the start of the Super League XV season. The first Crusaders match ever played there was against Leeds Rhinos on 29 January 2010, and that match is also the highest attendance for a Crusaders match played in Wrexham. With a capacity of 15,500 it is the largest ground in North Wales, the fifth largest in the whole of Wales, and the seventh largest in Super League. It was first built in 1807 and first played host to Wrexham's "Town Purse" horse race.[6] Crowd trouble stopped the horse racing and in 1864 it became home to Wrexham Football Club with the club now owning the ground.[7][8][9] The Wales national rugby league team have played there. The ground has four stands: The Mold Road Stand, the Eric Roberts Stand, the Kop and the Yale.

During pre-season of the 2012 campaign. North Wales Crusaders played 'Home' games at both Halton Stadium (Widnes)[10] and Eirias Stadium (Colwyn Bay).[11]

Whilst resurfacing work was taking place at the Racecourse Ground in 2014, North Wales Crusaders took their home games to 'the Rock' in Rhosymedre, near Ruabon.

As of the 2017 season, the club is based at the Queensway Stadium in Wrexham. It consists of two small all-seater stands on one side overlooking a rugby pitch and a running track with floodlights.

For 2021 the club is based at Stadiwm Zip World in Colwyn Bay as COVID-19 restrictions prevent the use of the Queensway Stadium.

2021 squad[]

North Wales Crusaders 2020 Squad
First team squad Coaching staff

Head coach

Assistant coach


Legend:
  • (c) Captain(s)
  • (vc) Vice captain(s)

Updated: 20 April 2021
Source(s): 2021 Squad

2021 transfers[]

Gains

Player Club Contract Date
England Ben Morris Swinton Lions 2 Years October 2020
Germany St Helens 1 Year October 2020
England Widnes Vikings 2 Years November 2020
England St Helens 1 Year December 2020
England Barrow Raiders 2 Years December 2020
England Callum Hazard St Helens 1 Year January 2021
Wales Dafydd Jones Salford Red Devils 1 Year March 2021
Samoa Patrick Ah Van Villegailhenc-Aragon XIII 1 Year April 2021

Losses

Player Club Contract Date
New Zealand York City Knights 1 Year September 2020
England Coventry Bears 2 Years October 2020
England Retired N/A November 2020
England Wigan St Judes 1 Year April 2021
England Released N/A April 2021
England Released N/A April 2021
England James Tilley Released N/A April 2021

Players[]

Main article: List of North Wales Crusaders players
See also: List of Crusaders Rugby League players

Coaches[]

Name Nat Tenure Matches Won % SL Won % Champ Won % Champ 1 Won % Chall. Cup Won % Champ. Cup Won %
Clive Griffiths Wales November 2011 – June 2014 35/61 57 0/0 0 6/15 40 21/34 62 3/6 50 5/6 83
Anthony Murray England June 2014 – September 2016 12/26 46 0/0 0 1/11 9 5/8 63 2/3 67 4/4 100
England October 2016 – March 2018[12]

Updated 11 June 2015.[13]

Seasons[]

Main article: List of North Wales Crusaders seasons

Honours[]

Runners-up (1): 2008
Winners (2): 2007, 2013
Winners (1): 2015
Runners-up (1): 2017

Statistics[]

Main article: North Wales Crusaders statistics and records
See also: Crusaders Rugby League statistics and records

References[]

  1. ^ "CHESTER RUFC TO HOST CRUSADERS MATCHES THIS SUMMER". North Wales Crusaders. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  2. ^ Darbyshire, Drew (29 April 2021). "North Wales Crusaders relocate for 2021". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  3. ^ [1][dead link]
  4. ^ "BBC Sport – New Crusaders side awarded Championship One place". BBC News. 11 November 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  5. ^ "Official Crusaders RL web site". Crusadersrfl.com. 7 December 2011. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  6. ^ BBC News – Old Stadium Claims World Record Retrieved on 5 September 2010.
  7. ^ Wrexham FC – The Racecourse Archived 21 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 5 September 2010.
  8. ^ Wales Directory – The Racecourse Retrieved on 5 September 2010.
  9. ^ The Racecourse Wrexham – About Us Archived 31 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 6 September 2010.
  10. ^ "Official Crusaders RL web site". Crusadersrfl.com. 3 February 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2012.[dead link]
  11. ^ "Official Crusaders RL web site". Crusadersrfl.com. 20 February 2012. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  12. ^ "North Wales Crusaders coach Grady departs". The Leader. 27 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  13. ^ "Official Crusaders RL web site". Crusadersrfl.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2012.

External links[]

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