RFL to back Welsh professional club

[DIEHARD]

The Rugby Football League is almost certain to admit a new Welsh professional clubT to play in the LHF Healthplan National League Two next season. The new club will be based in Bridgend, at the Brewery Field ground, and will be called the Celtic Crusaders.

Its application for membership of National League Two is expected to be accepted by the RFL Council when it meets on Wednesday 22 June.
The major shareholder is expected to be Leighton Samuel, who was previously the owner of the Celtic Warriors rugby union club based at the same venue. The Warriors were originally one of five major regional rugby union teams based in Wales, but Samuel was angered by their exclusion from the Celtic League a year ago, as the WRU rationalised the number of regional clubs it could support.

As an indication of the infrastructure that will support the new club, the local Brynteg School has recently won through to the final of the Powergen Schools competition at Under-12 level, and will play this season's Powergen Challenge Cup Final curtainraiser at the Millennium Stadium on 27 August.

Source: http://www.totalrl.com/

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Exellent news, good to see that they are building from the bottom up instead of putting them straight in the big time, the European SL is going to look very good in a few years time.

 

[screeny]

Great news but I don't like the nickname, religious and violent connotations and has already been used by a RL club in Britain. Also, why Celtic....? Why not Welsh or Wales?

Great news though, all the same. The RFL and people in Wales have been working on this application for a good long while now.

 

[nadera78]

The words 'Wales' and 'Welsh' should be used only to describe the national team. It's ridiculous that the Warriors also use 'New Zealand'. It's a country for God's sake!

This application has been building for some time, has a financial backer with clout, a good ground to play from and the local RL team (Bridgend Blue Bulls) currently play to some 500 people in a totally amateur competition. It's also interesting to note that the area lost it's top flight RU team due to the regional structure introduced by David Moffat at the WRU and this has caused a lot of resentment.

 

[yankeeboy]

Why not go with Bridgend Ravens as the name?

Do the 'Celtic Crusaders' plan to play games in Scotland and Ireland?

I think that 'Celtic' should be the name of a Scotland-Ireland-Wales combined international team, like is proposed for RU.

I think that it is a great decision, but I think that they should be allowed into NL One or Super League. This same thing happened in 1996, with the admission of a French club into SL and a Welsh club into the 2nd Division. Look where those clubs are now...

 

[Jeffles]

A step in the right direction.

Hopefully scheduling of matches allow Wlesh Conference fans to watch the NL2 Club.

 

[Dakink]

Fantastic news - and any name that conjours passion from the locals is a fantastic idea. Especially playing in a primarily English competition.

How good would it be in the future to see the Super League with teams in it from France Wales etc..

 

[Heritage XIII]

I think the RLF or Crusaders financer are not totally confident of pro RL's latest foray into the Welsh market. Therefore from their point of view the broad name of Celtic Warriors could mean a move of town/city/venue if Bridgend doesn't warm to the team.

 

[southsman]

This is awesome news and I really hope the Welsh community will support this venture. I'm sure with enough sponsorship and support the team could one day make it to the lofty height of the Super League. I know they've tried and failed once before but lets put steps in place so this kind of venture can succeed.

 

[Sun_Down]

Yay! Love the name aswell

 

[screeny]

The words 'Wales' and 'Welsh' should be used only to describe the national team. It's ridiculous that the Warriors also use 'New Zealand'. It's a country for God's sake!

This application has been building for some time, has a financial backer with clout, a good ground to play from and the local RL team (Bridgend Blue Bulls) currently play to some 500 people in a totally amateur competition. It's also interesting to note that the area lost it's top flight RU team due to the regional structure introduced by David Moffat at the WRU and this has caused a lot of resentment.

Good point Nadera, and I agree with you - don't know why I suggested Wales or Welsh as names for the new club! How's about South Wales? Then at least it's regional and retains its Welshness, not too broad like the Celt tag.

Anyway, good news all in all.

 

[yankeeboy]

Why have they never had a club based at Wrexham? It is pretty close to Northern England, and they have the 3rd largest ground in Wales, the Racecourse Ground, which seats 15,891 (with 11,000 seats) according to www.worldstadiums.com.

I think that Wrexham could host a 'North Wales' pro side, and Cardiff or Bridgend could have 'South Wales.'

There have actually been several Welsh teams in the Northern Union/ RFL competition. They are:

Marthyr Tydfil 1907/8-1910/11
Ebbw Vale 1907/8-1911/12
Aberdare 1908/9
Barry 1908/9
Mid-Rhondda 1908/9
Treherbert 1908/9-1909/10
Pontypridd 1926/7-1927/8 (folded after 8 games in 1927)
Cardiff 1951/2
Cardiff City Blue Dragons 1981/2-1983/4 (then moved to Bridgend)
Bridgend 1984/5
South Wales 1996

Let's hope that the new club will be able to break the record and play for more than 5 seasons.

 

[carlnz]

The words 'Wales' and 'Welsh' should be used only to describe the national team. It's ridiculous that the Warriors also use 'New Zealand'. It's a country for God's sake!

How is it ridiculous? They are NZ's only NRL team, and draw players from all over the country! The fact is most of the Country hate Auckland, so thats one of the many reasons why the dropped the name AUCKLAND and thats why they play all there preseason games around the country!

Now if NZ got a 2nd NRL team im sure that would change!

 

[yankeeboy]

I think that a Wrexham team should be introduced.

It's interesting that Liverpool FC Reserves play their games at the Racecourse Ground.

 

[screeny]

South Wales is by far and away the 'rugby' part of the principality. North Wales is more football orientated.

 

[Big Bunny]

I think that a Wrexham team should be introduced.

It's interesting that Liverpool FC Reserves play their games at the Racecourse Ground.

The interest isn't there. They are lucky that Yanto formed the North Wales Coasters as an amateur team.

 

[The Observer]

Here's a quick history lesson which will give the reason for the name, and some supporters may see parallels with what went on over the formation of the NRL after SL war.
1) A couple of years ago the Welsh Rugby Union fielded 9 teams in the Celtic League pro RU competition (with 4 Irish, 3 Scots). This was held in 2 pools.

2) WRU CEO David Moffett (ex NRL) and others instigated mergers to form 4 professional regional teams because their 9 clubs struggling badly in the League and the WRU was 70 million pounds in debt (partly from building Stadium). However Llanelli Scarlets wanted to stand alone, threatened legal action, so they got 5. Three mergers, two stand alone teams.

3) Businessman Leighton Samuel was backer of Bridgend Ravens RFC. They merged with Pontypridd to form the Celtic Warriors. Both teams are based in Valleys of South Wales (in the middle), a Rugby hotbed.

4) Samuels and the team struggled to appease supporters of both teams e.g. he chose to stage all games at Bridgend because Ponty's ground didn't have corporate facilities. so Ponty's fans did not go to games.

5) They performed better on field than some teams. Other merger teams Neath-Swansea Ospreys and Newport-Gwent Dragons have been better on the field. The Warriors were clearly better than the capital's stand alone team Cardiff Blues, whch should be a poewrhouse but is the worst performed. The CW got some great results on the field e.g. beating London Wasps in European Cup in front of sell out crowd.

6) After a year, lots of words between WRU and Samuels, the WRU withdrew central funding for the Warriors, they were wound up in a murky, dodgy fashion, lots of fans were upset.

The name Celtic Warriors would have appealed to disenfranchised Rugby supporters in the Valleys and Bridgend. However Samuels is currently in a court case against the WRU over the Warriors issue, so I believe he is legally not allowed to use the name Celtic Warriors ATM. Hence, the next best thing is Celtic Crusaders. Good choice IMO. If Samuels wants in to RL, he is eccentric, but at least he has the cash.

North Wales would be a huge risk - sparsely populated, soccer loving. The Scarlets include them as part of their region, and play exhibition games there.

 

[hutch]

if a millionaire in a developing nation wants in to rugby league, whether it is to spite rugby union or because he enjoys rugby league, then bring it on. we need all the help we can get, and maybe in 5-10 years time the welsh team may be in super league if they come up through the ranks. although i would prefer a welsh franchise to be automatically admitted into super league in the next 3 years.

 

[Dakink]

We need to ensure infratructure and juniors are developed in case mr/moneybags decides to get out ie Russia.

 

[carlnz]

Welsh Development Officer, Wayne Williams, adds, "For the very first time, we have a solid infrastructure to support a professional side. We have seven established amateur clubs who are winning trophies on a regular basis, a successful Welsh amateur side who have won the Home Nations title three years in a row, two university sides, a national students side who won this year's Student Home Nations as well as over 40 schools sides. All these teams will support and provide players to the Warriors and with the quality of talent that I and thousands of others have seen this year, I see no reason why this new side can't compete in Super League within a few years."

Mark Burke all in the 23.

O'Callaghan is especially delighted to see 19-year old Burke making a big impact so quickly commenting, "Mark is an outstanding talent and this was recognised by former Great Britain coach David Waite two years ago whilst playing for the Wales schools against England. Since then he has won Man of the Match Awards for Wales under 19s, for West Wales in the Origin Match and for the Wales A v England in their Home Nations Championship win at Coventry on September 12th. It's players like him that are the future of Welsh Rugby League."

Law student Burke is relinquishing his studies for one year to play on trial with Perpignan in the French Rugby League, prior to returning to England for trials with both Leeds Rhinos and St Helens in the new year.

Anyone know what has happen to this guy?