North Wales Crusaders

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]

North Wales Crusaders
Club information
Full nameNorth Wales Crusaders Rugby League Football Club
Short nameCrusaders
Colours
Founded2011 (2011)
Websitenorthwalescrusaders.com
Current details
Ground(s)
ChairmanIan Edwards
CoachMike Grady
ManagerAnthony Murray
CaptainLee Hudson
CompetitionBetfred League 1 (from 2015)
2019 RFL League 17th
Current season
Uniforms
Home colours
Away colours
Records
Northern Rail Bowl1 (2013)
Championship 11 (2013)
Most capped69 - Tommy Johnson
Highest points scorer514 - Tommy Johnson

History
See also: Crusaders Rugby League

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

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 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.[2][3] A rival bid from Wrexham-based Glyndwr Chargers was withdrawn.

The club held open trials for any new players to attend.[4]

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

Racecourse Ground
Main article: Racecourse Ground

The Racecourse Ground is located in Wrexham in North Wales and is the official home of the Crusaders and where most matches are played. 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 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.[5] Crowd trouble stopped the horse racing and in 1864 it became home to Wrexham Football Club with the club now owning the ground.[6][7][8] 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)[9] and Eirias Stadium (Colwyn Bay).[10]

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.

2020 squad
North Wales Crusaders 2020 Squad
First team squad Coaching staff
  • 14 Steven Roper - SH
  • 15 Ryan Millington - SR
  • 16 Jordan Olmez - PR
  • 17 James Tilley - SR
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26

Head coach

Assistant coach

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

2020 transfers

Gains

PlayerClubContractDate
Kieron SherrattCoventry BearsN/AOctober 2019
Chris BarrattCoventry Bearsn/aOctober 2019
Jordan OlmezSouth SharksN/AOctober 2019
Brad BillsboroughGrafton GhostsN/AOctober 2019
Jack CottingtonRochdale Hornets1 yearOctober 2019
Gavin RoddenWigan St JudesN/ANovember 2019
Jack HolmesOldham RoughyedsN/ANovember 2019
Jordan GibsonHaydockN/ADecember 2019
Joey BradyWigan St JudesN/ADecember 2019
Ryan MillingtonRochdale Hornets1 yearJanuary 2020

Losses

PlayerClubContractDate
Kenny BakerWidnes Vikings1 yearSeptember 2019
Ben SteadKeighley Cougarsn/aOctober 2019
Alex ThompsonRetiredN/AEnd of Season
Jonny WalkerRetiredN/AEnd of Season
Stephen WildRetiredN/AEnd of Season

Coaches
Name Nat Tenure Matches Won % SL Won % Champ Won % Champ 1 Won % Chall. Cup Won % Champ. Cup Won %
Clive GriffithsNovember 2011 – June 201435/61570/006/154021/34623/6505/683
Anthony MurrayJune 2014 – September 201612/26460/001/1195/8632/3674/4100
Mike GradyOctober 2016 – March 2018[11]

Updated 11 June 2015.[12]

Honours

Statistics
Main article: North Wales Crusaders statistics and records

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

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