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North Wales Crusaders

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North Wales Crusaders
Club information
Full nameNorth Wales Crusaders Rugby League Football Club
Short nameCrusaders
ColoursRed and white
Founded2011; 15 years ago (2011)
Exited2026; 0 years ago (2026)
Readmitted2026; 0 years ago (2026)
Websitehttps://www.northwalesrugby.com/
details
Ground
CEOBen Evans
ChairmanJamie El-Kaleh
CoachStuart Simmons
CompetitionChampionship
2026 season20th
Current season
Uniforms
Home colours
Away colours
Records
Northern Rail Bowl1 (2013)
Championship 11 (2013)
Most capped204 – Tommy Johnson
Highest points scorer1500 – Tommy Johnson

The North Wales Crusaders (Welsh: Croesgadwyr Gogledd Cymru Rygbi'r Gynghrair) are a professional rugby league club based in Colwyn Bay, Wales. They are the successors to the former Super League club Crusaders Rugby League. They currently compete in the RFL Championship, which is the second tier of the British rugby league system.

Until the end of 2016 they played their home games at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. From 2017 to 2020 they were based at the Queensway Stadium in Wrexham, but also played several games at Hare Lane in Chester.[1] In 2021 the club moved to the Eirias Stadium in Colwyn Bay.[2]

In 2026 the club announced its new permanent home would be the Brewery Field, home of rugby union's Bridgend Ravens, subject to approval by the Rugby Football League[3].

History

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Background

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Rugby league club Celtic Crusaders were formed in 2005. They were initially based at Brewery Field in Bridgend and successfully applied to join National League Two for the 2006 season.[4] In their first season they reached the semi-final of the play-offs only to lose 27–26 to Swinton Lions in golden point extra time.[5] The following season they finished top of the league to secure automatic promotion to National League One.[6] In the 2008 season, they reached the Grand Final, which they lost 38–18 to Salford City Reds,[7] however both sides were promoted to the Super League under the newly-introduced licence system.[8] In November 2009, the club changed its name to Crusaders Rugby League.[9] After two season in the top division the club were struggling financially and they entered administration in November 2010.[10] In July 2011, the club withdrew its application to renew their Super League licence[11] and its membership of the RFL was withdrawn following the club entering into liquidation.[12]

North Wales Crusaders

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2011

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On 11 October 2011, Crusaders RL was readmitted into the RFL for the 2012 season beginning in Championship 1, the third tier of rugby league in the United Kingdom, under the name "North Wales Crusaders". Their original name being preserved following a fan inquest.[13][12] The club held open trials in the off-season to attract new players.[14]

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

North Wales won the 2013 Championship One title, thus gaining promotion to the Championship after beating South Wales Ironmen 35–22 on the final day of the season.[15] However, they were relegated the following season.[16]

2016

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In 2016, financial issues resulted in the club making cuts to their playing budget.[17] The club was significantly supported in this period by Wales Rugby League in the form of loans and helping with the club's management structure.[18]

2017

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Ahead of the 2017 season, the club appointed a new captain in Lee Hudson,[19] and signed Mike Grady as a new head coach.[20]

2024

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On 20 December 2024, the club was taken over by EggChaserRugby, and saw Bobby Watkins become a non-executive chairman. This also saw Arun Watkins become the club's majority shareholder and thus the youngest ever club owner in RFL history at 23 years old.[citation needed]

2025

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The 2025 season saw North Wales win League 1 for the first time in 12 years gaining promotion to the Championship. The club also one of 12 teams to send expressions of interest for one of the additional two spots in the expanded Super League going into 2026, being the only League 1 club to do so.[21] However they did not continue with a formal application.[22]

Dean Muir, formerly coach at Hunslet RLFC, was appointed as head coach on 13 October 2025.[23]

2026

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The North Wales Crusaders post match against the London Broncos in 2026 after conceding the most points in their history

Muir left the club on 24 March 2026.[24]

On 26 March 2026, Krisnan Inu was appointed head-coach following Dean Muir's departure[25]

On 9 April 2026, the owners withdrew further funding of the club.[26] The 1895 Cup game against Midlands Hurricanes on 18 April was forfeited and the Championship match against Doncaster was postponed on 27 April after many players left the club.[27][28] On 6 May, the RFL terminated the Crusaders' membership due to an insolvency event. The following day, the RFL announced that it had approved membership of a new ownership group for the remainder of the 2026 season. The club also received a 12-point deduction.[29][30]

Inu left the club in May and was replaced by Sean Long who had previously managed the club's womens team.[31] On 8 June 2026, North Wales suffered the biggest defeat by any team in the top two divisions of Rugby League in the codes 131-year history as they were defeated 134-0 by London.[32]

On 20 July 2026 it was reported that Mike Grady had quit after just 50 days.[33]

Club identity and colours

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The club revealed a logo ready for use in the 2012 season which was 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 the text "Crusaders".

In 2012, the club launched a kit with black shirts covered with a multi-coloured cheveron.[34] Since then the club has changed its colours numerous times mainly between black and yellow, or red, white and green kits. Shirt designs have also incorporated elements connected to their Welsh heritage such as a Welsh Dragon in 2019, an image of Conwy Castle on their 2022 away kit, and a dragon scale pattern on their 2026 kits.[35][36][37][38]

Stadiums

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Racecourse Ground stadium, Wrexham

North Wales Crusaders were first based at the Racecourse Ground located in Wrexham. The Crusaders Rugby League club had 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.[39] Crowd trouble stopped the horse racing and in 1864 it became home to Wrexham Football Club with the club now owning the ground.[40][41][42] 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)[43] and Eirias Stadium (Colwyn Bay).[44]

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.

In 2021, the club was based at Stadiwm ZipWorld (aka Eirias Stadium) in Colwyn Bay due to COVID-19 restrictions preventing the use of Queensway Stadium.[45]

2027 squad

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North Wales Crusaders 2027 Squad
First team squad Coaching staff

Head coach

  • Stuart Simmons


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


Players

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Coaches

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Seasons

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Honours

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Statistics

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See also

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References

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  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. ↑ "Official Bridgend Ravens Website | Crusaders RL Confirm Brewery Switch". Retrieved 17 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "Welsh side join pro league ranks". BBC Sport. 22 June 2005. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  5. ↑ "Crusaders pipped in dramatic finale". Wales Online. 30 March 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  6. ↑ "Gateshead 16-60 Celtic Crusaders". BBC Sport. 9 September 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  7. ↑ "2008 National League 1 Grand Final – Salford City Reds 36 Celtic Crusaders 18". Wales Rugby League. 28 September 2008. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  8. ↑ "Crusaders join Super League". Sky Sports. 22 July 2008. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  9. ↑ "Crusaders drop the Celtic". Sky Sports. 2 November 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "Crusaders are placed in administration". BBC Sport. 22 November 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "Crusaders face uncertain future after Super League exit". BBC Sport. 26 July 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  12. 1 2 "New Crusaders side awarded Championship One place". BBC Sport. 11 November 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  13. ↑ [dead link]
  14. ↑ "Official Crusaders RL web site". Crusadersrfl.com. 7 December 2011. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  15. ↑ "Crusaders win Championship One title". September 2013.
  16. ↑ "North Wales Crusaders suffer relegation after Halifax defeat". 11 August 2014.
  17. ↑ "North Wales Crusaders making deep cuts in playing budget". 3 March 2016.
  18. ↑ "Crusaders board thank WRL". 25 May 2016.
  19. ↑ "Hudson to captain Crusaders". December 2016.
  20. 1 2 "Grady returns to Wales with Crusaders". Love Rugby League. 7 October 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  21. ↑ "North Wales Crusaders aim for Super League with 'sustainable' mantra". 8 September 2025.
  22. ↑ "Super League: The RFL confirms it has received applications from nine clubs". 15 September 2025.
  23. ↑ "Dean Muir appointed new Crusaders head coach". BBC Sport. 13 October 2025. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  24. ↑ Ben Olawumi (24 March 2026). "North Wales Crusaders axe Dean Muir as head coach search begins". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  25. ↑ Ben Olawumi (26 March 2026). "Krisnan Inu's first words after landing surprise Championship head coach role". Love Rugby League.
  26. ↑ Bower, Aaron (9 April 2026). "North Wales Crusaders owners pull funding, face uncertain future". Love Rugby League.
  27. ↑ "RFL confirms 48-0 defeat for North Wales Crusaders in 1895 Cup". North Wales Pioneer. 20 April 2026. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  28. ↑ Bower, Aaron (27 April 2026). "North Wales Crusaders future in doubt as club forfeit next game". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  29. ↑ "North Wales Crusaders get RFL green light to resume season". BBC Sport. 7 May 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  30. ↑ Bower, Aaron (7 May 2026). "North Wales saved by new owners but hit with hefty points deduction". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  31. ↑ "The home of North Wales Crusaders". www.northwalesrugby.com. 13 May 2026. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  32. ↑ "Crusaders suffer record 134-0 defeat by Broncos". www.bbc.co.uk.
  33. ↑ "Championship head coach leaves club after just 50 days in role". Love Rugby League. 20 July 2026. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  34. ↑ "North Wales Crusaders Launch Sale Of New Shirt". Wrexham.com. 21 February 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  35. ↑ "North Wales Crusaders unveil Wrexham Lager as main partner for 2018 season". Wrexham.com. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  36. ↑ "North Wales Crusaders are pleased to reveal our 2019 home and away shirts". North Wales Crusaders. 5 September 2018. Archived from the original on 21 August 2019.
  37. ↑ "North Wales Crusaders release new home and away kits for 2022 season". North Wales Chronicle. 9 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  38. ↑ "2026 Championship kits: Every shirt releases so far for the new season". Love Rugby League. 1 January 2026. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  39. ↑ BBC News – Old Stadium Claims World Record Retrieved on 5 September 2010.
  40. ↑ Wrexham FC – The Racecourse Archived 21 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 5 September 2010.
  41. ↑ Wales Directory – The Racecourse Archived 20 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 5 September 2010.
  42. ↑ The Racecourse Wrexham – About Us Archived 31 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 6 September 2010.
  43. ↑ "2012 Season". Crusadersrfl.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014.
  44. ↑ "Official Crusaders RL web site". North Wales Crusaders. 20 February 2012. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  45. ↑ "North Wales Crusaders relocate for 2021 season due to Covid-19 regulations". BBC Sport. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  46. ↑ "Clive Griffiths named North Wales Crusaders coach". BBC Sport. 23 November 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  47. ↑ "Griffiths steps down from head coach role at Crusaders". The Leader. 14 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  48. ↑ "North Wales Crusaders: Anthony Murray appointed head coach". BBC Sport. 18 June 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  49. ↑ "North Wales Crusaders coach Grady departs". The Leader. 27 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  50. ↑ "Anthony Murray returns to North Wales Crusaders". Love Rugby League. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  51. ↑ "Anthony Murray to Leave North Wales Crusaders at the end of the 2022 Season". RFL. 8 August 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  52. ↑ "Player-coach Carl Forster lands top job at North Wales Crusaders in 2023". North Wales Crusaders. 5 November 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  53. ↑ "Forster leaves Crusaders for Super League role". BBC Sport. 4 October 2025. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  54. ↑ "Head Coach: Dean Muir". North Wales Crusaders. 12 October 2025. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  55. ↑ "North Wales Crusaders confirm Dean Muir departure as search for new head coach begins". Love Rugby League. 24 March 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  56. ↑ "Krisnan Inu's first words after landing surprise Championship head coach role". Love Rugby League. 25 March 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  57. 1 2 3 "North Wales Crusaders confirm coaching shake-up as former Salford RLFC man lands new role". Serious About Rugby League. 2 June 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  58. ↑ "North Wales Crusaders' coach Sean reflects on away loss". The Leader. 28 May 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  59. ↑ "Championship head coach leaves club after just 50 days in role". Love Rugby League. 20 July 2026. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  60. ↑ "Northern Rail Bowl: North Wales Crusaders 42-24 London Skolars". BBC Sport. 20 July 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
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