A SECOND North Wales Crusaders game has been postponed as the club face a battle to survive severe financial issues.
The Championship away fixture against Doncaster, scheduled for Friday at the Eco-Power Stadium, will no longer go ahead.
North Wales haven’t played since a 66-10 league defeat at Keighley Cougars two weeks ago, which came days after a club statement revealed their owners would no longer provide funding.
Amid reports of unpaid bills and wages, the Crusaders then forfeited their recent 1895 Cup first-round tie at home to Midlands Hurricanes, who were awarded a 48-0 walkover win.
A string of players have since left the club, with centre Jayden Hatton and prop Anthony Walker joining Hunslet, hooker Joe Baldwin and backrower Cole Oakley switching to Salford, hooker Josh Eaves and winger Luke Forber moving to Swinton Lions and Oldham respectively and outside back Greg Eden going to Bradford Bulls on loan.
In a statement, Crusaders said the match was postponed “due to the current circumstances and our readiness to play”.
The Rugby Football League have said its board “will be urgently meeting to discuss the situation and the next steps”.
North Wales won last season’s League One title, but have been in crisis since owners Egg Chaser, a Surrey-based company who specialise in rugby union merchandise and sevens coaching, earlier this month announced they would no longer fund the club’s “additional costs” and issued a plea for external investment.
Egg Chaser acquired the club in December 2024 from Elkaleh LLC, a Dubai-based company whose leader Jamie Elkaleh is reportedly involved in a consortium bidding to take control.
Doncaster, whose next game will now be at Oldham on Sunday, May 10, said in their statement: “We wish North Wales Crusaders well in their efforts to find a resolution and secure their future in the game.”