Back the Cru

[gogledd]

North Wales Crusaders are appealing to supporters to help secure the club’s long-term future as well asking individuals interested in investing in the club to form expressions of interest.

 North Wales Crusaders have been at the forefront of rugby league in Wales since the club’s inception in 2012 following the demise of the Super League side, Crusaders RLFC.

Now flying the flag as Wales’ only representative team within the professional leagues, the club have had to battle recent adversities including having the play the majority of our 2023 home games on the road and also a loss of a significant number of our core supporter base since the coronavirus pandemic.

This has left the club with a void to fill, and whilst 2024 has seen us achieve a record breaking year commercially, it’s clear to the current board of directors that that alone does not ensure the long-term survival of the club.

It’s of great credit to the current team and coaching staff that they’ve continued to navigate these difficult circumstances with with hard work and dedication.

Our planning for the 2025 season is now well underway, and we’re excited to share our Vision 2025 strategy with supporters in the near future.

However, to achieve the sustainable model which we desire, we are now appealing to supporters and the wider rugby league community to help keep rugby league in North Wales flourishing, and allow us to continue our work in developing the young, next generation of stars for the game.

 

So, how can you help?

We’re appealing to supporters to help us raise the £10,000.00 we need to ensure the club remains a sustainable enterprise and carries the ability to attract potential investment going forward.

We’re welcoming donations however big or small towards our target and are also encouraging the local communities to turn out in force for our remaining home games of the 2024 season.

Should any individual or organisation be interested in discussing further investment opportunities then please email info@nwcrusaders.co.uk

[Whippet13]

Donation link here for anyone interested in supporting:

https://www.nwcrusaders.co.uk/product-page/back-the-cru

Edited May 15 by Whippet13

[newbe]

Without being a prophet of doom, this sounds like a reincarnation of some clubs who have disappeared. You raise money for one season, but you have to follow it up again n again. Wish them well. 

[gogledd]

4 minutes ago, newbe said:

Without being a prophet of doom, this sounds like a reincarnation of some clubs who have disappeared. You raise money for one season, but you have to follow it up again n again. Wish them well. 

Massive cuts to our central funding has lead us to this situation..... the RFL have cut the funding to the bone for League 1 and we've already see West Wales and London Skolars drop out, and our friends at Newcastle Thunder surviving due to a consortium of fans. The clubs at this level travel from Newcastle to Cornwall on a pittance. its no wonder any of the League 1 clubs end up struggling at some point

[Anita Bath]

Isnt a league one withering away exactly what RFL (and their appointed executioners IMG) want? They have done little if anything to support the third tier teams.

[Sports Prophet]

5 minutes ago, Anita Bath said:

Isnt a league one withering away exactly what RFL (and their appointed executioners IMG) want? They have done little if anything to support the third tier teams.

Frankly most the clubs competing in League 1 are not suitably resourced or funded to participate in a national competition. The league is not fit for the requirements of it’s clubs.

Promote the clubs which can compete nationally to Championship (even if it means 18 clubs) and do away with a third national professional tier. That’s got to be the plan.

[Gomersall]

5 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Frankly most the clubs competing in League 1 are not suitably resourced or funded to participate in a national competition. The league is not fit for the requirements of its clubs.

Yet, strangely, the game has decided that the most national league in the sport is populated by the teams with the least resources.

[fearnowt]

15 hours ago, gogledd said:

So, how can you help?

We’re appealing to supporters to help us raise the £10,000.00 we need to ensure the club remains a sustainable enterprise and carries the ability to attract potential investment going forward.

So if central funding was just £10k higher, we would have a sustainable club?

[gogledd]

3 hours ago, fearnowt said:

So if central funding was just £10k higher, we would have a sustainable club?

That seems to be the implication!

[EssexRL]

13 hours ago, Anita Bath said:

Isnt a league one withering away exactly what RFL (and their appointed executioners IMG) want? They have done little if anything to support the third tier teams.

Exactly - a few years ago they heralded the expansion of L1 with Oxford, All Golds etc., There was subsequent talk of Dublin, Belgrade and New York joining (Toulouse and Toronto did briefly pass through) and now it is all but dead. As an earlier post says the travel involved for clubs at this level particularly if you are outside the heartlands is crazy. What makes me mad is that clubs like Cru (and previously I would argue Skolars) are assets to the game.

If RFL want to kill the semi-pro game off outside the Championship (which it self is hardly pulling the punters in) why don't they be honest about it. 

[JM2010]

I know people don’t like this idea but below the Championship it needs to be regionalised. It would cut down on travel and also allow the clubs, in the South especially, to build sustainably rather than spending all their money on Northern players just so they can compete

[Ackroman]

I mentioned on the IMG thread that the Championship is potentially becoming irrelevant, that makes League 1 a footnote.

[Eddie]

£10k doesn’t sound like a lot to keep a semi pro sports team afloat.