NORTH WALES CRUSADERS will continue in the Championship as a new club headed by former owner Jamie Elkaleh.
After a month of uncertainty caused by the decision of the previous owners to pull funding, the Rugby Football League have granted an interim licence to an Elkaleh-led company, NW Rugby League 26 Limited.
Elkaleh has returned to the Crusaders after initially stepping aside to allow sports goods retailer EggChaser, run by father-and-son duo Bobby and Arun Watkins, to take over in December 2024.
North Wales’ previous results will stand and, after failing to fulfil two matches, they are set to return at Goole Vikings on Saturday, although they have been deducted twelve points following the termination of the old club’s RFL membership.
The governing body have stressed the new licence has only been granted for the remainder of this season and that under its terms, North Wales will be “under an obligation to work closely with the RFL under its financial sustainability regulations”.
They added: “Any future participation is conditional on a comprehensive business plan being provided to the governing body before being admitted for the 2027 fixture list.”
A player spending cap has been imposed, however the Crusaders will be allowed up to ten loan players for each match – double the usual five – to help them fulfil their fixtures.
Nine first-team players have joined other teams in the past month amid reports of unpaid wages and bills by the old club.
A post on the new North Wales Facebook page read: “While we accept a twelve-point deduction as per RFL operational rules following the insolvency of the previous entity, we view this as a clean slate. We are building from the ground up with integrity and transparency.
“A massive thank you to our new board members and the RFL for their tireless work over the last few days to make this happen.
“The road ahead won’t be easy, but the most important thing is that the club is alive. We need the fans behind us now more than ever. Let’s get to work and build a foundation for a massive 2027.”
Alongside a forfeited 1895 Cup first-round match against Midlands Hurricanes, the only Championship match North Wales did not fulfil was an away fixture against Doncaster last Friday.
This has been awarded as a 48-0 victory to the Dons, while the fixture has also been reversed – meaning it goes in the record books as a home Crusaders match and their tie scheduled for Sunday, August 9 will now be at the Eco-Power Stadium.
After the Goole match, North Wales don’t play again until a trip to Batley Bulldogs on Sunday, May 24, while the next game at their Stadiwm Eirias home in Colwyn Bay is a potentially lucrative one against Salford on Sunday, May 31.