Chris Barratt has committed his future to North Wales Crusaders, extending his stay with the club by another season. 

The prop, who can also play in a number of other positions across the forward pack, joined Crusaders ahead of the 2020 campaign from Coventry Bears, where he was captain.

After the COVID-19 pandemic brought his first season with the club to an abrupt end, Barratt was a regular feature in North Wales’ side last term, impressing with his exceptional work rate. 

It was easy to see why he had been such a key part of Coventry’s team since the club made the step up to League 1 level.

On his new deal, Barratt said: “We probably did a lot better than people expected and the experience of the play-offs will no doubt help us in the future. 

“I thought I had a pretty solid year, particularly once I got back into it after the long COVID-19 break, and it’s the most I’ve enjoyed playing for a long time.

“We had a fairly new squad last season, but we’ve had a full year together now and it’ll benefit us. 
“League 1 will be like it was last year – it’s a very tough league – but we know we can beat anyone on our day.

“You could really notice the fans once they came back and I don’t think I’ve ever played in an atmosphere like we experienced with our fans at home. 

“There was no question about whether I was going to sign again and I can’t wait for next season.”