Today marks exactly ten years since North Wales Crusaders were accepted into League 1 by the RFL ahead of their inaugural campaign in 2012.
North Wales were formed out of the ashes of the old Crusaders RL club, who were originally based in South Wales and relocated to Wrexham to compete in Super League. The club recently made Colwyn Bay their temporary home.
Clive Griffiths, who represented and coached Wales in both rugby league and union, was appointed head coach ahead of the debut campaign, recruiting a squad at very short notice alongside his assistant John Fieldhouse.
Despite Crusaders pulling together a squad made up largely of amateur and Super League academy players, they grew as the campaign went on and finished a respectable eighth.
2013 proved to be one of the club’s most successful years, losing just two matches in League 1 as they sealed promotion to the Championship and lifting the Northern Rail Bowl at The Shay in Halifax.
With a change to the Championship’s structure meaning five teams were relegated in 2014, Crusaders’ stay in the second tier was short-lived, finishing 11th and picking up 31 points along the way as they dropped out of the division.
There was also a change in the hot seat midway through the campaign as Griffiths stepped down as head coach and was replaced by his assistant Anthony Murray, who had coached Barrow Raiders in the Championship earlier that year before linking up with North Wales.
2015 was another successful season for Crusaders under Murray as they won the iPro Sport Cup in Blackpool and sealed fifth spot and a place in the League 1 play-offs, losing out at Keighley Cougars in the knock-out stages.
Despite significant changes on the field with a number of senior players leaving the club in 2016, the Welsh side were competitive and took part in the League 1 Shield during the second half of the campaign on the back on a tenth-place finish.
After securing a spot in the League 1 Shield Final at Newcastle Thunder, Crusaders lost out narrowly 31-26.
Murray opted for a new challenge at Gloucestershire All Golds at the end of the 2016 season and Mike Grady took over as the new head ahead of 2017.
The former South Wales Scorpions boss guided Crusaders to ninth in the League 1 table, meaning they once again competed in the League 1 Shield, although they missed out on the Final at Hunslet this time around.
North Wales did make it to the iPro Sport Cup Final in 2017, however, falling to an agonising defeat against Barrow in Blackpool.
After Grady’s departure in early 2018, Murray returned to the club for his second spell as Crusaders came tenth in the League 1 table.
North Wales made significant progress in 2019, finishing seventh and missing out on the play-offs by just three points.
Although a promising start to 2020 counted for nothing as the campaign was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the long wait for action was worth it as the club had one of their most impressive seasons in their history last term.
Despite the extremely competitive nature of League 1 these days, Crusaders claimed third spot in the table in 2021, finishing above a number of established clubs that were favourites for promotion.
While North Wales were knocked out of the play-offs, it was still an experience that will no doubt benefit the squad moving forward.
Crusaders chief executive Andy Moulsdale said: “I’ve been involved with the club since day one both as a player and then roles off the field.
“I’m very proud to be part of the club and we’ve achieved a lot in the past 10 years.
“Crusaders are well-known for being a welcoming club – one big family – and everyone who’s been involved will probably tell you they’ve loved their time here.
“Our supporters are fantastic and have backed us all the way since we’ve formed.
“When you look back over the years, there’s no doubt our fans have played a key role in some of the successes we’ve had on the field, travelling home and away in their numbers.
“Last season was another fantastic time for us and the future certainly looks bright as we look to build on the momentum we’ve gained recently.
“I’d like to thank everyone involved with the club for their support and I can’t wait for us to make more special memories together in the future.”
