| Celtic Crusaders | |||
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| Full name | Celtic Crusaders Rugby League Club | ||
| Founded | 2005 | ||
| Location | Bridgend, Wales | ||
| Ground(s) | Brewery Field, Bridgend | ||
| Capacity | 12500 | ||
| Coach |  John Dixon |
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| League | National League 1 | ||
| 2007 | National League 2, 1st (Promoted to NL1) | ||
| Official website | |||
| www.crusadersrfl.com | |||
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The Celtic Crusaders are a rugby league club based in Bridgend, Wales, United Kingdom. Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr is a town in the Country Borough of Bridgend in Wales. Brewery Field is a 12000 capacity multi-use Stadium in Bridgend, Wales. Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr is a town in the Country Borough of Bridgend in Wales. Media Some games are shown on Sky Sports, games involving Celtic Crusaders are shown on Welsh-language channel S4C. Media Some games are shown on Sky Sports, games involving Celtic Crusaders are shown on Welsh-language channel S4C. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr is a town in the Country Borough of Bridgend in Wales. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located They joined National League Two in 2006, and were promoted to National League One at the end of the 2007 season. Media Some games are shown on Sky Sports, games involving Celtic Crusaders are shown on Welsh-language channel S4C. Home games are played at the Brewery Field in Bridgend, although some games have been played in other parts of South Wales. Brewery Field is a 12000 capacity multi-use Stadium in Bridgend, Wales. Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr is a town in the Country Borough of Bridgend in Wales. They are coached by John Dixon.
Much of the squad are Welsh-qualified having been recruited from the Welsh Conference sides, mainly Bridgend Blue Bulls and Aberavon Fighting Irish. The Rugby League Conference (RLC (also known as the Co-operative Rugby League Conference as a result of sponsorship from the Co-operative Group, is a series of regionally They also run an academy side drawn from every club in the Welsh Conference. The Rugby League Conference (RLC (also known as the Co-operative Rugby League Conference as a result of sponsorship from the Co-operative Group, is a series of regionally The academy side are under the name Crusader Colts and currently play their games in the Rugby league Conference and played there first match against Dewsbury Celtic convincingly winning 66-12.
The Crusaders are attracting fans of the now defunct rugby union team Celtic Warriors, who participated in the Celtic League during the 2003-2004 season, before they were disbanded by the WRU. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short The Celtic Warriors were a regional Rugby union team from Wales, who played in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup between 2003 The 2003-04 Celtic League was the first season following the formation of the five regional rugby sides in Wales
Their highest ever attendance in National league 2 was on Friday May 4, 2007 when 3,441 people witnessed them play Oldham Roughyeds at the Brewery Field. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Oldham Roughyeds are a British Rugby league club currently playing in the League Two of the National Leagues. Brewery Field is a 12000 capacity multi-use Stadium in Bridgend, Wales. Some of the crowd consisted of engage Super League fans who had travelled to South Wales for the Millennium Magic weekend in Cardiff but the majority were locals thanks to a marketing campaign by the club. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. This attendance was also an NL2 record attendance and the first NL2 match broadcast live on British television. In 2008, a crowd of 6,152 attended the game against Featherstone Rovers on Friday May 3, again on the weekend of Millennium Magic. [1]
In only their second season of existence, the Celtic Crusaders won the 2007 National League Two championship, thus earning automatic promotion to National League One in 2008. Media Some games are shown on Sky Sports, games involving Celtic Crusaders are shown on Welsh-language channel S4C. The title was sealed with one match left to play as a result of Featherstone Rovers away loss at Barrow Raiders on September 8, 2007. Featherstone Rovers are a professional Rugby league club based in Featherstone (near Pontefract) West Yorkshire in England. Barrow Raiders are a British Rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. [2]
In 2008 Celtic Crusaders signalled their ambition for Super League rugby and were one of 19 clubs to submit an application for a Super League franchise. Many pundits fancy Celtic Crusaders to have their application accepted to expand the game across to Wales and not limit rugby league to the heartlands (Lancashire and Yorkshire).
Contents |
Symbols
The Badge - The badge depicts the Cross of St David with the Crusaders logo emblazed thereon. The club colours are black and gold and the change strip blue and white. The Motto - The motto comes from Lucius Accius a Roman tragic Poet. ‘Oderint dum metuant’ - ‘Let them hate, so long as they fear’ later became a famous motto of the Emperor Caligula.
History
The initial plan to re-use the 'Celtic Warriors' name was abandoned in favour of 'Celtic Crusaders' which had been considered by the rugby union franchise. They were to play their home games at Brewery Field and games were planned to be held at Sardis Road as well. Brewery Field is a 12000 capacity multi-use Stadium in Bridgend, Wales.
The Crusaders' aim was to reach Super League and to represent South Wales. Previous attempts to create rugby league franchises in non-traditional areas have met with mixed success. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games Gateshead Thunder and Paris Saint Germain were given automatic entry to the Super League, Paris survived only two seasons and Gateshead were forcibly merged and reincarnated as a national league two side. Gateshead Thunder are a Rugby league team from Gateshead in Tyne and Wear. Foundation The club was created as an attempt to give the new Super League a European dimension and the assumption was that the larger population of the capital city and its The philosophy behind the creation of the Crusaders was a bottom up approach to ensure that the club grew with its playing and spectator base, into a nationally recognised sporting brand. The Crusaders' first match took place against Harlequins Academy at Brewery Field. See Harlequin FC for the sister rugby union club Harlequins Rugby League is a Rugby league club representing the greater London The Crusaders used the fixture as a chance to view the fringe players in their squad and secured a 22-22 draw. Their first competitive games were in the National League Cup; Crusaders were placed in a group along with London Skolars, Hemel Stags and St Albans Centurions. London Skolars are a Rugby league team based at the New River Stadium, Wood Green, Haringey in north London. Hemel Stags are a Rugby league team based in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire playing in the Rugby League Conference National Division St Albans Centurions is a Rugby league club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire. Crusaders won every game convincingly and were installed as favourites to win National League Two in their first year. However, the team finished a creditable third and lost out 26-27 in the Final Eliminator to Swinton Lions. Swinton Lions is a British Rugby league club from Swinton and Pendlebury, Greater Manchester, England. They played against Brisbane Broncos in the Bulmers Original Cider Challenge at the Brewery Field on Thursday February 15, 2007, losing with a respectable scoreline of 6-32. The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional Rugby league club based in the city of Brisbane Queensland. The Bulmers Original Cider Challenge is the first of a potential annual match pitting a British Rugby league side against the Australian rugby league champions in preparation Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
In only their second season of existence, the Celtic Crusaders won the 2007 National League Two championship, thus earning automatic promotion to National League One in 2008. Media Some games are shown on Sky Sports, games involving Celtic Crusaders are shown on Welsh-language channel S4C. The title was sealed with one match left to play as a result of Featherstone Rovers away loss at Barrow Raiders on September 8, 2007. Featherstone Rovers are a professional Rugby league club based in Featherstone (near Pontefract) West Yorkshire in England. Barrow Raiders are a British Rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. [3] In that year fullback Tony Duggan won the National League Two Player of the Year award for 2007 with 40 tries through 2007. Jace Van Dijk, Neale Wyatt, Damien Quinn, Mark Dalle Cort, Neil Budworth, all joined Duggan in the National League Two all-star team. [4]
In their first ever Co-operative National League One match, Celtic Crusaders, in atrocious conditions, claimed a hard-fought 14-12 win over Dewsbury Rams. [5]
2008 Squad
| No | Nat | Player | Position | Previous Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
Tony Duggan | Full Back | Toowoomba Clydesdales |
| 2 |  |
Mark Lennon | Wing | Hull Kingston Rovers |
| 3 | |
Luke Dyer | Centre | Hull Kingston Rovers |
| 4 | |
Mark Dalle Cort | Centre | North Queensland Cowboys |
| 5 |  |
Paul Ballard | Wing | Leigh Centurions |
| 6 | |
Damien Quinn | Stand-off | Toowoomba Clydesdales |
| 7 | |
Jace Van Dijk(C) | Scrum Half | Wynnum Seagulls |
| 8 | |
Jamie I'Anson | Prop | Leeds Rhinos |
| 9 | |
Neil Budworth | Hooker | Harlequins RL |
| 10 | |
Jordan James | Prop | Widnes Vikings |
| 11 | |
Terry Martin | Second Row | Canberra Raiders |
| 12 | |
Darren Mapp | Second Row | Cronulla Sharks |
| 13 | |
Geraint Davies | Loose Forward | Aberavon Fighting Irish |
| 14 |  |
David Tangata-Toa | Prop | Hull Kingston Rovers |
| 15 | |
Neale Wyatt | Second Row | Pia Donkeys |
| 16 | |
Josh Hannay | Utility | Cronulla Sharks |
| 17 | |
Chris Vitalini | Centre | Newport Titans |
| 18 | |
Gareth Dean | Prop | AS Carcassonne |
| 19 | |
Chris Beasley | Second Row | St Gaudens |
| 20 | |
Ian Webster | Scrum Half | Halifax |
| 21 | |
Anthony Blackwood | Full Bacl | Halifax RLFC |
| 22 | |
Tom Burnell | Hooker | Cardiff Demons |
| 24 | |
Owen Lewis | Stand-off | Valley Cougars |
| 25 | |
Ben Flower | Second Row | Bedwas |
| 26 | |
Lee Williams | Centre | Aberavon Fighting Irish |
| 27 |  |
Philippe Gardent | Prop | Carolina Panthers-American Football |
Crusaders Colts
In 2007 Celtic Crusaders setup a feeder side called the Crusaders Colts with the prime objective of producing young Welsh players to play for both Celtic Crusaders and the Welsh national side. The Toowoomba Clydesdales are a rugby league club based in Toowoomba, Queensland. Mark Lennon (born August 17, 1980 in Sydney, Australia) is a Rugby league player who plays for the Wales national rugby Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is a British Rugby league club playing in Super League (Europe, having won promotion from National Luke Dyer (born 15 August 1981) is an Australian professional Rugby league player who plays for the Wales national rugby league team. Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is a British Rugby league club playing in Super League (Europe, having won promotion from National The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional Rugby league football team based in Townsville Queensland. Paul Ballard born 4 September, 1984 is a Rugby league player for the Celtic Crusaders in National League One. Leigh Centurions are a semi-professional Rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester, England. The Toowoomba Clydesdales are a rugby league club based in Toowoomba, Queensland. The Wynnum-Manly Seagulls are a Rugby league club based at Kougari Oval, which is in the suburb of Manly West in Brisbane, Queensland Leeds Rhinos, or informally Leeds or Rhinos, are an English professional Rugby league football club based in Leeds Neil Budworth (born 10 March, 1982 in Higher End, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester) is an English Rugby See Harlequin FC for the sister rugby union club Harlequins Rugby League is a Rugby league club representing the greater London Jordan James, born 24 May, 1980 is an Welsh Rugby league player Widnes Vikings are a professional Rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. Terry Martin born 25 May, 1980 in Australia is a Rugby league player for the Celtic Crusaders in National League One. The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional Rugby league football team based in the city of Canberra Australian Capital Territory. Darren Mapp (born October 8, 1980 in Albury New South Wales) is an Australian Rugby league player for the Celtic Crusaders The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla New South Wales in the Sutherland Shire, south of Sydney David Tangata-Toa (born 15 July 1981, Gold Coast Queensland) is an Australian professional Rugby league footballer with the Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is a British Rugby league club playing in Super League (Europe, having won promotion from National SM Pia XIII are a French Rugby league team from Pia in the Pyrénées-Orientales département. Josh Hannay (born 11 January 1980 in Moranbah Queensland) is an Australian professional Rugby league player for the Celtic Crusaders The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla New South Wales in the Sutherland Shire, south of Sydney Newport Titans RLFC are a Rugby league side who play out of Pill Harriers RFC in the city of Newport, Wales. Gareth Dean, born in Pontypridd, Wales, is a Rugby league player with Celtic Crusaders. AS Carcassonne are a semi-professional Rugby league football club based in Carcassonne in the south of France. Saint-Gaudens is a commune and a Sub-prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France See also Ian Webster born 16 November, 1986 in Whiston, Merseyside, England is a Rugby league player for the Celtic Crusaders Anthony Blackwood (born 13 September, 1982) is a Welsh International Rugby League Centre or winger Halifax RLFC is one of the most historic Rugby league clubs in the game formed over a century ago in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Cardiff Demons RLFC are a Rugby league side who play out of St Bedwas is a Village 2 miles north-east of Caerphilly, south Wales, situated in the Caerphilly county borough, within the historic boundaries Philippe Gardent (born March 24, 1979 in Grenoble France) is a Rugby league player and formerly an American football player The Carolina Panthers are a professional football team based in Charlotte North Carolina, representing both North Carolina and South Carolina in the American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with The squad is made up of the best young players in Wales and they will play their fixtures in the Co-operative Conference National, a league which is two divisions below National League One, where Celtic Crusaders are competing this year, and a division above the Welsh Conference Premier.
The majority of the Colts’ first ever side are taken from the Welsh Conference Premier but there are a few new faces to rugby league including Josh Hannam (don’t get him confused with a certain first team player) who comes to the club after an impressive record with both Glamorgan Wanderers and Newport Gwent Dragons under 20 and Lewis Mills, who has previously only played university rugby for Glamorgan. [6]
The Crusaders Colts played there first game against Dewsbury Celtic winning comfortably 66-12. [7]
Statistics
National League Two
| Season | Pos | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | 3rd | 22 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 29 |
National League Two
| Season | Pos | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07 | 1st | 22 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 60 |
Records
Biggest win (margin): 82-4 vs Swinton Lions (Brewery Field, 28 April 2007)
Most Points Scored: 84-10 vs Hunslet Hawks (Brewery Field, 11 August 2007)
Biggest defeat: 56-6 vs Widnes Vikings (Brewery Field, 9th February 2007)
Highest Attendance: 6,152 vs Featherstone Rovers (3rd May 2008)
Honours
National League Two Champions 2007
See also
- Celtic Warriors
- Wales national rugby league team
- Rugby League in Wales
- Rugby League Conference
- Rugby League National Leagues
References
- ^ BBC SPORT | Rugby League | Crusaders 28-18 Featherstone
- ^ BBC SPORT | Rugby League | Gateshead 16-60 Celtic Crusaders
- ^ BBC SPORT | Rugby League | Gateshead 16-60 Celtic Crusaders
- ^ CrusadersRFL.com - NL2 Player of the Year. The winner is
- ^ CrusadersRFL.com - March 21st - Dewsbury Rams (h)
- ^ CrusadersRFL.com - Crusaders Colts match off
- ^ CrusadersRFL.com - Sat 5 April - Dewsbury Celtic (a)
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_League_National_Leagues_in_2006
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_League_National_Leagues_in_2007
External links
- Celtic Crusaders announcement
- Celtic Crusaders official website
- Website containing information about past League clubs
- Official Wales Rugby League website
- Official Wales Rugby League photographer's website
- Celtic Crusaders on youtube
- Celtic Crusaders forum on rlfans.com
- National League website
- Celtic Crusaders Fans Forums - RugbyLeague.org
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