145-923: Crusaders Rugby League ( Welsh : Croesgadwyr Rygbi'r Gynghrair ) was a professional rugby league club based in Bridgend and later in Wrexham , Wales. They played for six seasons in the Rugby Football League competitions, including three years in the Super League from 2009 to 2011. Founded as Celtic Crusaders in 2005 initially based in Bridgend, the club played in National League Two from 2006 to 2007 and in National League One in 2008. In 2009 they were awarded
290-663: A stand-off , scrum-half , or loose forward . Ellis switched from rugby union to rugby league in 1990, signing a five-year contract with Warrington . He played scrum-half in Warrington's 12–2 victory over Bradford Northern in the 1990–91 Regal Trophy Final during the 1990–91 season at Headingley , Leeds on Saturday 12 January 1991. Ellis won caps for Wales (RL) while at Warrington in 1991 against Papua New Guinea, in 1992 against France, England, and France, in 1993 against New Zealand, in 1994 against France, and Australia, in 1995 against England, and France, in
435-515: A 10–0 lead but Hull recovered, finishing with a 20–28 victory and leaving Crusaders with a three-game losing streak. The next match against St Helens provided a record 6,351 crowd but also went into the Super League record books as the lowest scoring match in its fourteen-year history as the Saints scraped through with a 0–4 scoring just the one try. Getting further into March, and then into April
580-613: A 14–18 loss against London being their only defeat. The home game against Doncaster was due to be played on 15 March but was cancelled due to waterlogged pitch and after some consideration the Rugby Football League announced that the game was not replayed because whatever the result it would not change the league table and thus affect any qualifying issues. The Crusaders also made it through to the Challenge Cup fourth round again, being drawn against Moscow Locomotive in
725-570: A 26–18 win over Halifax, who were at the time top of the league table, but again the team were unable to string together two wins together as a trip to Whitehaven ended in a 44–16 defeat. Halifax again provided the opposition in the first stage of the knockout rounds of the Championship Cup, after the Crusaders qualification from the group stages. The Crusaders started the match well with a try from Anthony Blackwood and controlled much of
870-638: A 28–18 win. The only defeat in that period came against the Salford City Reds who snatched a 24–22 win at the Willows , Salford . However things turned bad for the Welshmen as all three of their matches in July ended in defeat. Featherstone avenged their Brewery Field defeat as they won 42–30 at Post Office Road , Whitehaven became the only club to do the double over the Crusaders during the season as
1015-608: A 42–10 defeat at Wigan Warriors. Crusaders were offered a position in the Co-operative Championship 1 for the 2012 season by the RFL with their request to join at Co-operative Championship level having been turned down; a rival bid from Wrexham-based Glyndwr Chargers was withdrawn. Crusaders took their place in the Championship 1 as North Wales Crusaders . The club's colours were black and gold, inspired by
1160-576: A 6–20 after 50 minutes, but the Bulls surged forward causing the Welshmen to cling onto a narrow 24–26 lead with two minutes to go before a second Luke Dyer secured the result. Unfortunately, the club were unable to capitalise on this win, as the Catalans Dragons proved too strong in the Crusaders first ever match with French opposition. In fact the Bradford match was one of the few high points in
1305-532: A 70–0 victory in front of 634 fans in Crusaders' first home match of the league campaign, with centre Carl De Chenu scoring four tries. The club had decided prior to the season to take two home fixtures to other parts of South Wales, the first of which was a 36–18 win over Hunslet watched by 415 people at Talbot Athletic Ground in Aberavon . In early June, Keighley went down 58–18 at Old Parish in Maesteg in
1450-590: A Super League licence, and in 2010 they moved from Bridgend to Wrexham in North Wales , and dropped "Celtic" from their name. After three years in the Super League, on 26 July 2011 the club announced they were withdrawing their application to remain in the league for the 2012–15 seasons. They disbanded after the 2011 season, and were succeeded by a new club, North Wales Crusaders , in Championship 1 in 2012. They played their home matches at Brewery Field then
1595-441: A Welsh Language Scheme, which indicates its commitment to the equality of treatment principle. This is sent out in draft form for public consultation for a three-month period, whereupon comments on it may be incorporated into a final version. It requires the final approval of the now defunct Welsh Language Board ( Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg ). Thereafter, the public body is charged with implementing and fulfilling its obligations under
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#17327827142471740-594: A Welsh-language edge inscription was used on pound coins dated 1985, 1990 and 1995, which circulated in all parts of the UK prior to their 2017 withdrawal. The wording is Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad (Welsh for 'True am I to my country'), and derives from the national anthem of Wales, " Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ". UK banknotes are in English only. Some shops employ bilingual signage. Welsh sometimes appears on product packaging or instructions. The UK government has ratified
1885-663: A census glossary of terms to support the release of results from the census, including their definition of "main language" as referring to "first or preferred language" (though that wording was not in the census questionnaire itself). The wards in England with the most people giving Welsh as their main language were the Liverpool wards of Central and Greenbank ; and Oswestry South in Shropshire . The wards of Oswestry South (1.15%), Oswestry East (0.86%) and St Oswald (0.71%) had
2030-405: A fair amount. 56 per cent of Welsh speakers speak the language daily, and 19 per cent speak the language weekly. The Welsh Government plans to increase the number of Welsh-language speakers to one million by 2050. Since 1980, the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools has increased, while the number going to Welsh bilingual and dual-medium schools has decreased. Welsh is considered
2175-871: A junior team playing in the Gillette National Youth League under the name North Wales Crusaders. Welsh language Welsh ( Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ] ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people . Welsh is spoken natively in Wales , by some in England , and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province , Argentina ). It
2320-635: A lot of attention from the South Wales media and a record crowd of 2,041 came to see Crusaders lose 6–32 with a very credible performance. Grant Epton got Crusaders' sole try on the night. Eastmoor Dragons were drawn against Crusaders in Round 3 of the Challenge Cup. The amateur team were beaten 50–10 at Brewery Field despite Crusaders being reduced to eleven players after Geraint Davies and Terry Martin were both sent out after 65 minutes. Just like last year Crusaders were drawn against Rochdale Hornets and for
2465-399: A new language altogether. The argued dates for the period of "Primitive Welsh" are widely debated, with some historians' suggestions differing by hundreds of years. The next main period is Old Welsh ( Hen Gymraeg , 9th to 11th centuries); poetry from both Wales and Scotland has been preserved in this form of the language. As Germanic and Gaelic colonisation of Britain proceeded,
2610-477: A place in the final against Doncaster. A good Championship Cup run could not be matched in the Challenge Cup as the club were drawn against Super League giants Leeds for the fourth round. The World Club Challenge champions were simply too strong for the Welshman with the match finishing a commendable 38–16 with Anthony Blackwood getting two tries and Mark Dalle Cort getting one in what was a solid performance. In
2755-591: A play-off match against second-placed team; the Sheffield Eagles, which was lost 26–16 at the Don Valley Stadium . A final elimination match against Swinton proved to be the team's last match of the season as the Lions won 26–27 after 91 seconds of Golden Point extra time. Sheffield beat Swinton in the final meaning them and Dewsbury Rams, who finished top of the table, were promoted. Throughout
2900-600: A repeat fixture of the third round from 2006. This time the Russians were beaten 58–10, despite the match being 10–10 at one point. The National League One campaign got off to a great start with 14–12 victory over Dewsbury in front of a crowd of 1,618. However, in their second match a strong Sheffield Eagles team finished 25–6 winners at the Don Valley Stadium, breaking the Crusaders record of not having lost an away match since June 2007. The team bounced back with
3045-407: A rugby-playing nation. The Crusaders come into professional rugby league playing out of the excellent Brewery Field Stadium in Bridgend and having lodged a robust business plan with the RFL. – Richard Lewis, RFL Executive chairman, 2005. We're elated by our admission to Rugby League. We feel that the time is right for professional Rugby League in South Wales. For the first time an infrastructure
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#17327827142473190-479: A single discourse (known in linguistics as code-switching ). Welsh speakers are largely concentrated in the north and west of Wales, principally Gwynedd , Conwy County Borough , Denbighshire , Anglesey , Carmarthenshire , north Pembrokeshire , Ceredigion , parts of Glamorgan , and north-west and extreme south-west Powys . However, first-language and other fluent speakers can be found throughout Wales. Welsh-speaking communities persisted well into
3335-477: A snow-hit Brewery Field on 9 February and won 6–56. It was the first ever match played under the new points system for the National Leagues and Northern Rail Cup where teams would gain 3 points for a win, 2 for a draw and 1 for a defeat by less than 12 points. Crusaders earned two good victories against London Skolars, but it was the match in between these two that caused the most surprise. In the shock of
3480-632: A team to be formed in North Wales in the future. The Crusaders under-18 side were formed for the 2008–2009 Gillette National Youth League Winter season, winning the league in their first season and finishing fifth in their second, whilst still being based in South Wales. In 2009 the club's first under-16 side was set up, and in 2010 an under-15 team was added to this scholarship programme. The Crusaders also have four development squads based in Bridgend, Cardiff/Newport, Merthyr Tydfil and Swansea/Port Talbot that consist of juniors aged 12–16. Crusaders also have
3625-534: A total of 12 games at The Racecourse. Having been the only top tier rugby league team in Wales the Crusaders have pockets of supporters all around the country, but particularly in the Glamorgan and Wrexham areas where the team had regularly played matches. The club generally attracted 5000 supporters to home matches, and whilst a low away support has been criticised around 1000 fans made the trip up to Yorkshire to see
3770-541: Is a Welsh former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. A Great Britain and Wales national representative. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Bridgend RFC , Maesteg RFC (two spells), Treorchy RFC , Sale Sharks , London Irish , Cardiff RFC , Pontypool RFC and Ebbw Vale RFC , at representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales , and at club level for Warrington Wolves , Workington Town , Gold Coast Chargers , Bridgend Blue Bulls and Celtic Crusaders , as
3915-645: Is available throughout Europe on satellite and online throughout the UK. Since the digital switchover was completed in South Wales on 31 March 2010, S4C Digidol became the main broadcasting channel and fully in Welsh. The main evening television news provided by the BBC in Welsh is available for download. There is also a Welsh-language radio station, BBC Radio Cymru , which was launched in 1977. Kevin Ellis (rugby) Kevin Stewart Ellis (born 29 May 1965)
4060-420: Is evidenced by the dropping of final syllables from Brittonic: * bardos 'poet' became bardd , and * abona 'river' became afon . Though both Davies and Jackson cite minor changes in syllable structure and sounds as evidence for the creation of Old Welsh, Davies suggests it may be more appropriate to refer to this derivative language as Lingua Britannica rather than characterising it as
4205-468: Is in place with so much junior development of the sport taking place as well as the successful Conference division. Our aim is to reach Super League and we realise that the hard work has just started for us. We shall also be representing South Wales in Rugby League and we take that seriously. – Chris O'Callaghan, Celtic Crusaders chief executive, 2005. Financial problems at Pontypridd RFC led to
4350-529: Is located in Wrexham in North Wales and is the official home of the Crusaders and where most matches are played. The club moved to the ground in 2010, in time for the start of the Super League XV season. The first Crusaders match ever played there was against Leeds Rhinos on 29 January 2010, and that match is also the highest attendance for a Crusaders match played in Wrexham. With a capacity of 15,500 it
4495-478: Is modern, progressive and business-friendly. Our Welsh identity is prominent as ever through the gold and black Flag of St David which still provides the colours of our home strip". The round badge, ringed with "Celtic Crusaders", features a warrior holding a sword and a shield with the Flag of St David on it, in the background are two Celtic knots . The badge bears striking similarity to the badge intended for use during
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4640-586: Is spoken by smaller numbers of people in Canada and the United States descended from Welsh immigrants, within their households (especially in Nova Scotia ). Historically, it has also been known in English as "British", "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric". The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 gave the Welsh language official status in Wales. Welsh and English are de jure official languages of
4785-540: Is the largest ground in North Wales, the fifth largest in the whole of Wales, and the seventh-largest in Super League. It was first built in 1807 and first played host to Wrexham's "Town Purse" horse race. Crowd trouble stopped the horse racing and in 1864 it became home to Wrexham Association Football Club with the club now owning the ground. The Wales national rugby league team have played there once against Italy. The ground has four stands: The Mold Road Stand, The Eric Roberts Stand, The Kop and The Yale. Crusaders have played
4930-656: The 1995 Rugby League World Cup against France, Western Samoa, and England. He also won a cap for Great Britain while at Warrington in 1991 against France. He was selected to go on the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand . Ellis switched back to playing rugby union in 1995, but briefly returned to rugby league in 2003 to play for Bridgend Blue Bulls in the 2003 Rugby League Conference Grand Final. He also made further appearances for Wales in 2003 against Russia, and Australia, and in 2004 against Ireland. Ellis also worked as an assistant coach with Celtic Crusaders for several years, where he also made
5075-500: The 2016 Australian census , 1,688 people noted that they spoke Welsh. In the 2011 Canadian census , 3,885 people reported Welsh as their first language . According to the 2021 Canadian census , 1,130 people noted that Welsh was their mother tongue. The 2018 New Zealand census noted that 1,083 people in New Zealand spoke Welsh. The American Community Survey 2009–2013 noted that 2,235 people aged five years and over in
5220-466: The 2021 census , 7,349 people in England recorded Welsh to be their "main language". In the 2011 census, 1,189 people aged three and over in Scotland noted that Welsh was a language (other than English) that they used at home. It is believed that there are as many as 5,000 speakers of Patagonian Welsh . In response to the question 'Does the person speak a language other than English at home?' in
5365-683: The Battle of Dyrham , a military battle between the West Saxons and the Britons in 577 AD, which split the South Western British from direct overland contact with the Welsh. Four periods are identified in the history of Welsh, with rather indistinct boundaries: Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. The period immediately following the language's emergence is sometimes referred to as Primitive Welsh, followed by
5510-873: The Crusaders Colts , as part of a joint-development programme between the club and the Wales Rugby League board. The team played in the Conference National division in 2008, the fourth tier of rugby league, finishing second in the league table and beating Bramley Buffaloes in the Grand Final. Due to the club's promotion into Super League, the team dropped their Colts name and joined the Super League Reserve League for 2009. In their first match they beat Leeds Rhinos 48–40, but could only achieve two more victories in
5655-538: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Welsh. The language has greatly increased its prominence since the creation of the television channel S4C in November 1982, which until digital switchover in 2010 broadcast 70 per cent of Channel 4's programming along with a majority of Welsh language shows during peak viewing hours. The all-Welsh-language digital station S4C Digidol
5800-611: The Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington . Having lost the qualifying play-off match the Salford City Reds did not make the same mistake twice in the elimination play-off and once again would be Crusaders opponents for the fifth and final time this season. In the match, the Salford City Reds scored the first two tries, before Anthony Blackwood narrowed their lead as the team went into half-time losing 6–10. A resurgence occurred though as Crusaders scored three tries in
5945-519: The Old Welsh period – which is generally considered to stretch from the beginning of the 9th century to sometime during the 12th century. The Middle Welsh period is considered to have lasted from then until the 14th century, when the Modern Welsh period began, which in turn is divided into Early and Late Modern Welsh. The word Welsh is a descendant, via Old English wealh, wielisc , of
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6090-686: The Proto-Germanic word * Walhaz , which was derived from the name of the Celtic people known to the Romans as Volcae and which came to refer to speakers of Celtic languages, and then indiscriminately to the people of the Western Roman Empire . In Old English the term went through semantic narrowing , coming to refer to either Britons in particular or, in some contexts, slaves. The plural form Wēalas evolved into
6235-473: The RAF 's St Athan base, beating off competition from Cardiff City who also wanted to use the facilities; and that Frenchman Thibault Giroud had been appointed as new fitness coach. Like last year, Celtic Crusaders' first match of the new season was a Northern Rail Cup game. This year they were drawn in a group with two strong National League One clubs, Widnes and Leigh , and with London Skolars. Widnes came to
6380-710: The Racecourse Ground . The Crusaders won the National League Two championship in 2007. Their last coach was Iestyn Harris . In the summer of 2003, the WRU voted to reduce the top tier of Welsh professional rugby union from nine clubs into five regions. The Celtic Warriors officially represented the Mid-Glamorgan Valleys area, which in practice meant that they were a combination of Pontypridd RFC and Bridgend RFC . The admission of
6525-491: The Salford City Reds travelling down to Brewery Field for the first time after being relegated from Super League the previous year. The Salford City Reds scored the first try and after 40 minutes had earned a 10–18 lead, which was quickly extended to 10–24 after the break. Two tries from the Crusaders were not enough as the Salford City Reds scored two tries in the final two minutes to comfortably win 20–36 and secure
6670-640: The United States spoke Welsh at home. The highest number of those (255) lived in Florida . Sources: Calls for the Welsh language to be granted official status grew with the establishment of the nationalist political party Plaid Cymru in 1925, the establishment of the Welsh Language Society in 1962 and the rise of Welsh nationalism in the later 20th century. Of the six living Celtic languages (including two revived), Welsh has
6815-542: The "hugely important role", adding, "I look forward to working with the Welsh Government and organisations in Wales in developing the new system of standards. I will look to build on the good work that has been done by the Welsh Language Board and others to strengthen the Welsh language and ensure that it continues to thrive." First Minister Carwyn Jones said that Huws would act as a champion for
6960-473: The 12th to 14th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This is the language of nearly all surviving early manuscripts of the Mabinogion , although the tales themselves are certainly much older. It is also the language of the existing Welsh law manuscripts. Middle Welsh is reasonably intelligible to a modern-day Welsh speaker. The Bible translations into Welsh helped maintain
7105-596: The 1880s identified a small part of Shropshire as still then speaking Welsh, with the "Celtic Border" passing from Llanymynech through Oswestry to Chirk . The number of Welsh-speaking people in the rest of Britain has not yet been counted for statistical purposes. In 1993, the Welsh-language television channel S4C published the results of a survey into the numbers of people who spoke or understood Welsh, which estimated that there were around 133,000 Welsh-speaking people living in England, about 50,000 of them in
7250-536: The 1993 Act nor secondary legislation made under it covers the private sector, although some organisations, notably banks and some railway companies, provide some of their information in Welsh. On 7 December 2010, the Welsh Assembly unanimously approved a set of measures to develop the use of the Welsh language within Wales. On 9 February 2011 this measure, the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 ,
7395-467: The 78–14 victory. Crusaders also entered into the Challenge Cup and were drawn against Russian team Moscow Locomotive for Round 3 of the competition. They were reigning Russian Championship and Russian Cup champions and it was one of the few times that in the cup competition's long history that two non-English sides had been drawn together. However, in a match where the pitch was covered in snow
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#17327827142477540-486: The Assembly which confirms the official status of the Welsh language; which creates a strong advocate for Welsh speakers and will improve the quality and quantity of services available through the medium of Welsh. I believe that everyone who wants to access services in the Welsh language should be able to do so, and that is what this government has worked towards. This legislation is an important and historic step forward for
7685-442: The BBC Wales Sports Team of the Year award, but lost out to the New Saints . After leaving for Queensland at the end of the 2006 season, former coach Anthony Seibold returned to the club as Assistant Coach, operating alongside Kevin Ellis. Despite the fact that the licensing process would determine which clubs would enter the newly expanded Super League, the Crusaders were still eager to make their mark in their new division and win
7830-412: The BBC were going to show their highlights programme The Super League Show across Wales throughout the forthcoming season. After a 28–6 pre-season friendly win against Harlequins RL, the Crusaders played their first match against the Sheffield Eagles and won 12–22. In a group which also featured Doncaster and London Skolars, the Crusaders finished top of the league, winning four out of five games, with
7975-411: The Brittonic speakers in Wales were split off from those in northern England, speaking Cumbric, and those in the southwest, speaking what would become Cornish , so the languages diverged. Both the works of Aneirin ( Canu Aneirin , c. 600 ) and the Book of Taliesin ( Canu Taliesin ) were written during this era. Middle Welsh ( Cymraeg Canol ) is the label attached to the Welsh of
8120-427: The Celtic Crusaders Vagabonds who played in the Isle of Man and the Celtic Barbarians based in Wrexham. The club has several notable fans like Welsh rugby union international Gavin Henson, TNA wrestler Rob Terry, Plaid Cymru politician Janet Ryder and Carwyn Jones, the First Minister of Wales. Online the club had their own Facebook page, whilst fans generally used the Crusaders Til I Die or Red Passion forums to talk about
8265-399: The Celtic Crusaders is recognition of the progress that the sport is making in Wales. We now have a strong grass roots presence in Wales with rugby league being played in schools as well as the formation of junior teams. The impressive progress delivered by the seven Welsh clubs playing in the Conference has given rugby league a solid base of adult players and Wales has a worldwide reputation as
8410-401: The Celtic Warriors' unplayed 2004/05 season. The club have revealed a new logo ready for use in the 2010 season. The badge, inspired by the Prince of Wales's feathers , has three white feathers adorning the centre of a disc with the Flag of St David on. To the left and right of the feathers, the words "Rugby" and "League" appear on the disc. Beneath the feathers is written "Crusaders". The logo
8555-399: The Celtic language spoken by the ancient Celtic Britons . Classified as Insular Celtic , the British language probably arrived in Britain during the Bronze Age or Iron Age and was probably spoken throughout the island south of the Firth of Forth . During the Early Middle Ages the British language began to fragment due to increased dialect differentiation, thus evolving into Welsh and
8700-448: The Crusaders face the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League XV Play-offs. The club had stated that they want to expand their presence into other areas of North Wales other than Wrexham. Television presence in the form of S4C, BBC Sport and more recently Sky Sports has enabled people all over the United Kingdom to watch live matches, whilst regional coverage regularly follows the Crusaders in news bulletins. Newspapers in Wales have supported
8845-428: The Crusaders initially applied to continue their Super League licence for the 2012–15 period, but on 26 July 2011, they announced they had withdrawn their application. The club's owners, Geoff Moss and Ian Roberts pulled out stating that they were not able to fund the side anymore, which eventually led to the club being wound up in September. Attendances were down on the 2010 season. Crusaders bowed out of Super League with
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#17327827142478990-517: The Crusaders regularly struggled against the best teams in the country. Adding to the disappointment was the announcement by David Thompson, who had led the successful Super League application, that he was stepping down as chief executive to return to his legal career. Mike Turner, the club's Marketing Manager, was promoted to the position on a temporary basis and was later confirmed as a permanent appointment. and discontent as heavy rain forced Harlequins to cancel their match against Celtic Crusaders in what
9135-553: The Crusaders since formation such as the Western Mail, South Wales Echo, South Wales Evening Post and Y Cymro in the south of the country; and The Leader and The Flintshire Chronicle in the north of the country. The Crusaders Rugby League Supporters Club was formed in 2010 to provide a link between the club and fans, and replaced the old Celtic Crusaders Supporters Club that had branches in Cardiff, Newport, West Wales and Manchester amongst others. The club has also had various groups of supporters form their own rugby league teams such as
9280-426: The Crusaders still found themselves searching for that illusive first win. A 27–22 away defeat by the Warrington Wolves caused the team to slump from 13th back down to 14th, the position in the table where they would stay for the rest of the season. It came as a surprise then that it was at Odsal, home of the Bradford Bulls, where the Crusaders finally got up and running with a 24–30 win. The team did well in establishing
9425-437: The Crusaders to a 25–12 victory against the Salford City Reds. Before this, the team had largely been quite competitive despite the run of defeats, but the wheels came off as the side suffered a number of large defeats such as 34–0 against play-off challengers Catalans Dragons, 46–12 against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats and a 0–68 thrashing against Leeds Rhinos in front of a Newport crowd of 5,597. The latter match thus goes down as
9570-407: The Flag of St David. The blue and white colours of the change strip were the same as the club colours of Bridgend RFC . For the 2009 season, the club used a red and white away strip, colours associated with Welsh national teams. The club's first badge was used between its founding in 2005 and 2008. The badge featured the Flag of Saint David on a shield. A ribbon around the bottom of the shield bore
9715-434: The Greater London area. The Welsh Language Board , on the basis of an analysis of the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, estimated there were 110,000 Welsh-speaking people in England, and another thousand in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the 2011 census , 8,248 people in England gave Welsh in answer to the question "What is your main language?" The Office for National Statistics subsequently published
9860-413: The National League Two Player of the Year and National League Two Coach of the Year categories respectively at the TotalRL Fan Awards. Just before the start of the season it was announced that Welsh former player Jonathan Davies had been appointed Honorary President of the club, and that he would be attending matches throughout the year. The club also announced that they were moving their training ground to
10005-434: The Northern Rail Cup the Celtic Crusaders won all of their six games, scoring 374 points and conceding just 44. With an average of 62 points scored per match the Crusaders set the record for most points scored in a Northern Rail Cup group, beating the Salford City Reds' 58-points per game in 2003. Included in this winning run was the club's first home match, against London Skolars , where 1,021 people were in attendance to see
10150-497: The Powergen Champions School Final for the second year in a row after beating a Wigan school, but lost the final. Some changes at the club also occurred during the year. On 8 June chief executive Chris O'Callaghan resigned after 13 months in the job, during which he was highly important in forming the club and getting them into the professional leagues. At the end of the season influential first ever captain Michael Ryan returned to his native Australia for personal reasons. The season
10295-432: The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, all new signs have Welsh displayed first. There have been incidents of one of the languages being vandalised, which may be considered a hate crime . Since 2000, the teaching of Welsh has been compulsory in all schools in Wales up to age 16; this has had an effect in stabilising and reversing the decline in the language. Text on UK coins tends to be in English and Latin. However,
10440-704: The Welsh Language Scheme. The list of other public bodies which have to prepare Schemes could be added to by initially the Secretary of State for Wales, from 1993 to 1997, by way of statutory instrument . Subsequent to the forming of the National Assembly for Wales in 1997, the Government Minister responsible for the Welsh language can and has passed statutory instruments naming public bodies who have to prepare Schemes. Neither
10585-895: The Welsh Parliament, the Senedd , with Welsh being the only de jure official language in any part of the United Kingdom, with English being merely de facto official. According to the 2021 census , the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 538,300 (17.8%) and nearly three quarters of the population in Wales said they had no Welsh language skills. Other estimates suggest that 862,700 people (28.0%) aged three or older in Wales could speak Welsh in March 2024. Almost half of all Welsh speakers consider themselves fluent, while 20 per cent are able to speak
10730-526: The Welsh language, though some had concerns over her appointment: Plaid Cymru spokeswoman Bethan Jenkins said, "I have concerns about the transition from Meri Huws's role from the Welsh Language Board to the language commissioner, and I will be asking the Welsh government how this will be successfully managed. We must be sure that there is no conflict of interest, and that the Welsh Language Commissioner can demonstrate how she will offer
10875-487: The Welsh of the 16th century, but they are similar enough for a fluent Welsh speaker to have little trouble understanding it. During the Modern Welsh period, there has been a decline in the popularity of the Welsh language: the number of Welsh speakers declined to the point at which there was concern that the language would become extinct. During industrialisation in the late 19th century, immigrants from England led to
11020-485: The Welsh team raced into a 30–4 lead at half-time, and the match eventually finished 64–4. Round 4 provided much tougher opponents as the Crusaders were handed an away tie with National League One side Rochdale Hornets . Just three weeks after the Moscow match, on 1 April the team suffered their first ever defeat as Hornets won 32–8 and Crusaders were thus eliminated from the 2006 Challenge Cup. Rochdale Hornets again provided
11165-682: The Welsh-speaking heartlands, with the number dropping to under 50 per cent in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire for the first time. However, according to the Welsh Language Use Survey in 2019–20, 22 per cent of people aged three and over were able to speak Welsh. The Annual Population Survey (APS) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that as of March 2024, approximately 862,700, or 28.0 per cent of
11310-579: The ancestor of Cumbric as well as Welsh. Jackson, however, believed that the two varieties were already distinct by that time. The earliest Welsh poetry – that attributed to the Cynfeirdd or "Early Poets" – is generally considered to date to the Primitive Welsh period. However, much of this poetry was supposedly composed in the Hen Ogledd , raising further questions about the dating of
11455-497: The biggest event for the club since inception. Joining the Crusaders were the Salford City Reds and the original twelve teams of Super League which expanded the league to 14 teams. Controversially Widnes, Leigh, Halifax, Toulouse and Featherstone Rovers were the clubs who were not awarded a licence. The Crusaders were awarded a 'C' grade licence after varying factors such as stadium, finance, marketing, location, player strength and junior production were taken into account. With this result
11600-408: The census. In terms of usage, ONS also reported that 14.4 per cent (443,800) of people aged three or older in Wales reported that they spoke Welsh daily in March 2024, with 5.4 per cent (165,500) speaking it weekly and 6.5 per cent (201,200) less often. Approximately 1.7 per cent (51,700) reported that they never spoke Welsh despite being able to speak the language, with the remaining 72.0 per cent of
11745-403: The club and the league, as the club were fined £60,000. This was not the only event that stained the club's inaugural Super League season, as it was widely reported that the club were under financial difficulties. At the start of the season owner Leighton Samuels predicted a massive future for the club and that this future was secure. A little later in the season he again clarified his commitment to
11890-559: The club announced that it would be dropping the "Celtic" from the name to sever ties with the old Celtic Warriors rugby union team, and that the club was now to be called "Crusaders Rugby League". Alongside this a new logo was announced featuring the Prince of Wales feathers. Finally on 15 December the saga was finished as the club announced that their new home would become the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. After selling his share in
12035-446: The club announced that they were fully co-operating and that the investigation wasn't just concerning the recent season, but went back over a number of years. Despite all this coach John Dixon said that none of this was having any effect on players performances. However, on 18 August, a few days before the team would face Leeds Rhinos, it was announced that the club had violated visa regulations and six Australian players were asked to leave
12180-469: The club became only the third non-English side to participate in the league and the first side from Wales. For the rest of the season the club prepared for their top-flight debut, signing a new sponsorship deal with Brains Beer, and in November the team embarked a three-week training camp in Queensland. However it wasn't just the licence that propelled the Crusaders forward in 2008, the Super League trophy
12325-403: The club broke their margin of victory and points scored in one match records due to an 82–4 win over Swinton . The points scored in one match record was later broken again in the season after an 84–10 thrashing of Hunslet on 11 August. The club suffered just one defeat at home all season against Oldham on 4 May. It was the first ever National League Two match to be shown live on Sky Sports, and
12470-452: The club insisting that there should be no fears over the club's financial position, with Super League bosses backing these reassurances, and Anthony Seibold saying that the club will not face extinction. The club then considered a move to Newport's Rodney Parade in a bid to attract more fans and to gain extra licence points as the stadium was much more developed then Brewery Field, the latter of which Leighton Samuels no longer owned after selling
12615-404: The club suffered their last defeat of the campaign, 23–16 by Hunslet, before putting together a run of twelve consecutive victories to win the league. The title was secured just before the last match against Gateshead , as third placed Barrow beat second placed Featherstone Rovers 30–4. Over 100 Crusaders fan made the trip up to Gateshead to see the Crusaders lift the trophy. Progress was made off
12760-428: The club to Geoff Moss of Wrexham FC, Leighton Samuels stated that a pot of money was needed if the Crusaders were to survive in Wales, and that the Rugby Football League were not visionaries and did not support the club enough financially. However the RFL, alongside Geoff Moss and Wrexham FC chief executive Paul Retout were delighted with the decision. As was Brian Noble who could finally get down to signing new players for
12905-407: The club, the latter of which is a Wrexham FC forum but which had a Crusaders board and large contingent of Crusaders supporters. Like all other Super League clubs, the Crusaders ran several teams as part of their academy system that operate under the main team and provide a route into it. The Reserve team were formed in 2006 and played friendly matches for two years before eventually being replaced by
13050-417: The country, with the club soon after terminating their contracts. Jace Van Dijk, Tony Duggan and Damien Quinn, who all joined the club in 2006, as well as Darren Mapp, Mark Dalle Cort, Josh Hannay who all joined the club in 2007, were banned from entering the country for 10 years. The Rugby Football League quickly demanded an explanation from the club, in an event that naturally landed a lot of bad publicity onto
13195-414: The course of the 20th century this monolingual population all but disappeared, but a small percentage remained at the time of the 1981 census. Most Welsh-speaking people in Wales also speak English. However, many Welsh-speaking people are more comfortable expressing themselves in Welsh than in English. A speaker's choice of language can vary according to the subject domain and the social context, even within
13340-479: The decline in Welsh speakers particularly in the South Wales Valleys. Welsh government processes and legislation have worked to increase the proliferation of the Welsh language, for example through education. Welsh has been spoken continuously in Wales throughout history; however, by 1911, it had become a minority language, spoken by 43.5 per cent of the population. While this decline continued over
13485-491: The following decades, the language did not die out. The smallest number of speakers was recorded in 1981 with 503,000 although the lowest percentage was recorded in the most recent census in 2021 at 17.8 per cent. By the start of the 21st century, numbers began to increase once more, at least partly as a result of the increase in Welsh-medium education . The 2004 Welsh Language Use Survey showed that 21.7 per cent of
13630-466: The foundations were laid for an academy side for the 2008 season with the best players from the Welsh Conference league being picked for the team. Housebuilder Redrow Homes renewed their shirt sponsorship deal whilst a new branding of the club's logo, badge and jersey was announced on 3 December promoting a more progressive and modern image. After achieving promotion the team were nominated for
13775-560: The game as part of London's on the road home games whilst their ground was being redeveloped. The rest of 2005 was spent preparing for the upcoming season. On 13 November, Kevin Ellis was appointed Assistant Coach and a few days later on 16 November Anthony Seibold was appointed Fitness and Conditioning Coach. By the end of November coach John Dixon had completed his squad, drawn heavily from Bridgend Blue Bulls and Aberavon Fighting Irish clubs. The club were due to play their first match against Super League giants St. Helens , but due to
13920-472: The game at the Shay . Two late tries by Halifax were not enough as the Crusaders progressed to the quarter final and a match against Widnes . In what was expected to be a fiercely competitive and close match, the Championship Cup holders were left shocked as the Crusaders ran riot resulting in a 50–18 final scoreline with seven different players all going over for tries. The semi-final was played on 14 June against
14065-460: The ground. Despite claims that he was helping the club prepare for the 2010 season, Leighton Samuels decided to cut his losses sometime in December 2009 and withdrew his support for the club after three years. Coach John Dixon officially left the club on 14 September after the club's last match of the season against Castleford Tigers stating that he was disappointed to be leaving after three years at
14210-404: The helm but respected the chairman's decision. This was amongst background rumours that Brian Noble was to be appointed to replace him. On 14 October the rumours were proved to be true as Brian Noble became the second-ever head coach of the club, with former Welsh international Iestyn Harris and former Great Britain assistant Jon Sharp being given the jobs of assistant coaches. Then in early November
14355-522: The highest number of native speakers who use the language on a daily basis, and it is the Celtic language which is considered the least endangered by UNESCO . The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages be treated equally in the public sector, as far as is reasonable and practicable. Each public body is required to prepare for approval
14500-476: The highest percentage of residents giving Welsh as their main language. The census also revealed that 3,528 wards in England, or 46% of the total number, contained at least one resident whose main language is Welsh. In terms of the regions of England , North West England (1,945), London (1,310) and the West Midlands (1,265) had the highest number of people noting Welsh as their main language. According to
14645-506: The language, its speakers and for the nation." The measure was not welcomed warmly by all supporters: Bethan Williams, chairman of the Welsh Language Society, gave a mixed response to the move, saying, "Through this measure we have won official status for the language and that has been warmly welcomed. But there was a core principle missing in the law passed by the Assembly before Christmas. It doesn't give language rights to
14790-406: The league and a great chance to do just that. Crusaders were matched in the qualifying play-off against first placed Salford City Reds, who had secured their superior league position in a 10–20 victory over the team in the last match of the regular season. Crusaders therefore went into the match underdogs but came out storming with eight tries resulting in an 18–44 win and a place in the Grand Final at
14935-487: The league though Crusaders built on their impressive start notching up six wins in seven games in the months of May and June. This included a narrow 14–16 victory away at Widnes, a 56–28 win over Batley and a crucial win over Featherstone Rovers on 2 May. A club record crowd of 6,152, including top Rugby League Football officials, watched Crusaders earn their fourth win in a row against Rovers as Jordan James, Anthony Blackwood, Damien Quinn and Tony Duggan scored tries to seal
15080-596: The league title. A new team called the Crusaders Colts were set up to play in the Conference National division and provide a route for young Welsh players to get into the main Crusaders team. They were coached by Dan Clements and eventually came second in the league table, winning 15 out of 18 matches and beating Bramley Buffaloes 26–4 in the Grand Final. The club welcomed the news in February that
15225-402: The least endangered Celtic language by UNESCO . The language of the Welsh developed from the language of Britons . The emergence of Welsh was not instantaneous and clearly identifiable. Instead, the shift occurred over a long period, with some historians claiming that it had happened by as late as the 9th century , with a watershed moment being that proposed by linguist Kenneth H. Jackson ,
15370-543: The match at Brewery Field ended 22–26, and the Crusaders were also on the wrong end of a 30–22 scoreline against Batley, who were eventually to be relegated. The last four matches, all played in August, were critical for the Crusaders chances of being in the Grand Final, and stringing four wins together against the Sheffield Eagles, the Leigh Centurions, Halifax and the Salford City Reds earned the team second place in
15515-673: The material and language in which it was originally composed. This discretion stems from the fact that Cumbric was widely believed to have been the language used in Hen Ogledd. An 8th-century inscription in Tywyn shows the language already dropping inflections in the declension of nouns. Janet Davies proposed that the origins of the Welsh language were much less definite; in The Welsh Language: A History , she proposes that Welsh may have been around even earlier than 600 AD. This
15660-622: The modern period across the border in England. Archenfield was still Welsh enough in the time of Elizabeth I for the Bishop of Hereford to be made responsible, together with the four Welsh bishops, for the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. Welsh was still commonly spoken there in the first half of the 19th century, and churchwardens' notices were put up in both Welsh and English until about 1860. Alexander John Ellis in
15805-559: The motto Oderint dum metuant (Latin for "Let them hate, so long as they fear"), which is attributed to the Roman tragic poet, Lucius Accius and later became famous as a saying of the Emperor Caligula . Above and below the shield were the world "Celtic" and "Crusaders Rugby League Club" respectively. The Crusaders' next badge was adopted following the 2007 season. David Thompson, the then chief executive commented, "The new badge
15950-609: The name for their territory, Wales. The modern names for various Romance-speaking people in Continental Europe (e.g. Walloons , Valaisans , Vlachs / Wallachians , and Włosi , the Polish name for Italians) have a similar etymology. The Welsh term for the language, Cymraeg , descends from the Brythonic word combrogi , meaning 'compatriots' or 'fellow countrymen'. Welsh evolved from Common Brittonic ,
16095-448: The new Super League season with the Crusaders against reigning champions Leeds Rhinos in freezing conditions at Headingley. The Rhinos scored four tries early on, before Luke Dyer scored the new team's first-ever try in Super League, but this could not be built upon as the match finished 28–6. A loss at the Salford City Reds a week later was followed by the opening home game at Bridgend versus Hull. A strong 5,200 crowd cheered their team into
16240-607: The next round. However the quarter-finals is as far as the team got, losing 30–18 away to another strong National League One side in Halifax. The squad's second match of the season (after Widnes) was not a Northern Rail Cup game though, but a match against the 2006 NRL champions Brisbane Broncos . Arguably the biggest rugby club in the world, the Broncos used the match to prepare for their World Club Challenge meeting with St Helens. This Bulmers Original Cider Challenge match attracted
16385-643: The opposition in the next round of the Northern Rail Cup and again they won, this time the match finished 6–34 at the Brewery Field. For their first season in the National League Two competition the side performed very well finishing third out of twelve teams, earning 29 points. The team scored 730 points and conceded 387. Workington Town were the opposition for the first match and surprisingly Crusaders won 18–50, ending Workington's 23-month unbeaten home record. London Skolars were brushed away with
16530-627: The other Brittonic languages. It is not clear when Welsh became distinct. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson has suggested that the evolution in syllabic structure and sound pattern was complete by around AD 550, and labelled the period between then and about AD 800 "Primitive Welsh". This Primitive Welsh may have been spoken in both Wales and the Hen Ogledd ('Old North') – the Brittonic-speaking areas of what are now northern England and southern Scotland – and therefore may have been
16675-473: The people of Wales in every aspect of their lives. Despite that, an amendment to that effect was supported by 18 Assembly Members from three different parties, and that was a significant step forward." On 5 October 2011, Meri Huws , Chair of the Welsh Language Board , was appointed the new Welsh Language Commissioner. She released a statement that she was "delighted" to have been appointed to
16820-463: The pitch too. David Thompson announced that he had negotiated a deal between the Crusaders, Sky TV, the RFL, and S4C whereby Sky would surrender its rugby league exclusivity allowing S4C to televise live Crusader games. S4C commissioned Y Clwb Rygbi 13 programme in June, firstly covering the Crusaders versus Barrow match live and then continuing to broadcast nine matches overall in 2007 and 2008. In August
16965-471: The population not being able to speak it. The National Survey for Wales, conducted by Welsh Government, has also tended to report a higher percentage of Welsh speakers than the census, with the most recent results for 2022–2023 suggesting that 18 per cent of the population aged 3 and over were able to speak Welsh, with an additional 16 per cent noting that they had some Welsh-speaking ability. Historically, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh. Over
17110-502: The population of Wales aged 3 and over, were able to speak the language. Children and young people aged three to 15 years old were more likely to report that they could speak Welsh than any other age group (48.4 per cent, 241,300). Around 1,001,500 people, or 32.5 per cent, reported that they could understand spoken Welsh. 24.7 per cent (759,200) could read and 22.2 per cent (684,500) could write in Welsh. The APS estimates of Welsh language ability are historically higher than those produced by
17255-407: The population of Wales spoke Welsh, compared with 20.8 per cent in the 2001 census , and 18.5 per cent in the 1991 census . Since 2001, however, the number of Welsh speakers has declined in both the 2011 and 2021 censuses to about 538,300 or 17.8 per cent in 2021, lower than 1991, although it is still higher in absolute terms. The 2011 census also showed a "big drop" in the number of speakers in
17400-469: The request from Hemel. The game against Hemel was won convincingly by the Crusaders 50–10 with Tony Duggan being the first player to score a try for the Welsh franchise (with Ryan O'Kelly being the first Welshman to score a try), and Jace Van Dijk was rewarded with the first Man of the Match award. Crusaders Academy played their first match against London Harlequins Academy on 29 January. In the group stages of
17545-409: The required fresh approach to this new role." Huws started her role as the Welsh Language Commissioner on 1 April 2012. Local councils and the Senedd use Welsh, issuing Welsh versions of their literature, to varying degrees. Road signs in Wales are in Welsh and English. Prior to 2016, the choice of which language to display first was the responsibility of the local council. Since then, as part of
17690-412: The round Crusaders went to Leigh and won 22–26 in front of a crowd of 1,637, despite being 18–4 down at half-time. In the return fixture Leigh were again narrowly defeated, this time the match finishing 22–14. Despite another defeat against Widnes, Crusaders had qualified for the next round of the cup. On 21 April a Crusaders squad with 11 Welshmen in their ranks defeated Hunslet 14–28 to again qualify for
17835-553: The rugby union franchise. They were to play their home games at Brewery Field and games were planned to be held at Sardis Road as well. The Rugby Football League admitted the Celtic Crusaders club; now with badge, ground, website and shareholders; on 22 June 2005 during a meeting in Salford . On 3 July, Super League teams London Broncos and Hull FC fought out a 24-all draw at the Brewery Field, drumming up 3775 fans to watch
17980-648: The sale of their half of the Warriors to Bridgend RFC owner Leighton Samuel , which he gave to the WRU. He then later sold his half to the WRU who in Summer 2004 decided to liquidate the club. After the success of clubs in the Welsh Premier division of the Rugby League Conference , a South Wales team was mooted to join a professional league in March 2005, as the National League Two division
18125-620: The same day as the Merthyr/Oldham match in September 1907, Ebbw Vale made the twelve-hour train trip to Keighley to play their first ever rugby league match. League leaders Featherstone Rovers were beaten 36–28 at home and then on 9 June Crusaders beat another title-contending team in Barrow 26–14 in front of S4C as the match was broadcast live across Wales. It was the first rugby league match to ever be broadcast in Welsh . A week later
18270-403: The season, a stark contrast to the previous three season. But in early June an injury-stricken side beat Wigan Warriors 22–16 at the Brewery Field to record a second win of the campaign. Although the scores were 16–16 late into the match, Peter Lupton drove into the corner to finish a memorable match in the club's history. A further two points were earned in July as four different try scorers helped
18415-530: The season, against Castleford Tigers and Hull KR. All the reserves team's matches for the 2009 season were played at Old Parish in Maesteg. The move to Wrexham in 2010 coincided with the formation of the South Wales Scorpions , for whom many of the reserve side ended up playing and who maintain strong links with the Crusaders. Despite currently no longer having a reserve side, there are plans for
18560-418: The season, as he had been unable to sign anyone in his first two months in charge due to the complications of where the team would be based. The club were keen to move on after the previous month's fiasco insisting they would be competitive for the new season which would start with a home tie against Leeds. New players were brought into the squad such as Michael Witt, Rocky Trimarchi, and Gareth Raynor. However,
18705-546: The second half, but a Salford City Reds try and a late goal pushed the match into extra-time. By this time the Crusaders had run out of steam and the Salford City Reds scored three tries over the extra-time period to win the match 18–36. On 22 July the Rugby League Football granted the Celtic Crusaders a three-year licence from 2009 allowing the team to compete in Super League Europe, in what was
18850-691: The second on the road match. It was in their third week that Crusaders lost only their second match of 2006, narrowly being beaten 22–20 in a Monday night match against the Sheffield Eagles . The club were involved in one draw during the whole season, a 30–30 tie away to Keighley in May. After several key matches, in the last game of the campaign the Celtic Crusaders secured a vital 14–11 win against Featherstone Rovers on 10 September meaning they finished third overall on points difference, whilst Featherstone who also earned 29 points finished fourth. This set up
18995-414: The squad was also bolstered with new young Welsh players like Elliot Kear, Lewis Mills and Lloyd White. Crusaders reached the Super League play-offs; going out in the first round at Huddersfield Giants. On 12 November 2010, the Crusaders were placed into administration due to "inherited debt". The club suffered a six-point deduction for going into administration at the end of the previous season. In 2011
19140-490: The team being in the World Club Challenge competition, a Harlequins RL Academy side provided the opposition for the club's inaugural match. The friendly ended in a 22–22 draw. Originally the club were to play their first competitive match at home, but their first three Northern Rail Cup games during February; against Hemel Stags, St Albans Centurions and London Skolars respectively; were switched as away games at
19285-486: The third time were knocked out of a cup competition by them, this time losing 20–16 at Spotland . In the second year in the National League Two competition, Crusaders finished first with 60 points and were promoted. The campaign got off to a good start, an 18–42 away win against London Skolars on the Good Friday was backed up by a 68–0 win against Blackpool in front of an Easter Monday crowd of 2,805. In late April
19430-526: The use of Welsh in daily life, and standardised spelling. The New Testament was translated by William Salesbury in 1567, and the complete Bible by William Morgan in 1588. Modern Welsh is subdivided into Early Modern Welsh and Late Modern Welsh. Early Modern Welsh ran from the 15th century through to the end of the 16th century, and the Late Modern Welsh period roughly dates from the 16th century onwards. Contemporary Welsh differs greatly from
19575-739: The worst defeat in the club's history as eight different players scored 13 tries for Leeds. Despite getting just six points in the season this wasn't a record, as Workington Town in SLI , Huddersfield Giants in SLIII , Halifax in SLVIII and Leigh Centurions in SLX all ended up with less than six points. On 9 July the club received word that it was subject to investigations by the UK Border Agency concerning problems over players visas. A statement released by
19720-711: The year the club were boosted by player and local achievements. At various times in the year Celtic Crusaders players made it into the National League Two Team of the Month, whilst full-back Tony Duggan and stand-off Jace Van Dijk were both nominated for National League Two Player of the Year, with the latter eventually picking up the honour in October. Tony Duggan was later confirmed as the top try-scorer from all three British leagues for 2006. Hooker Lloyd O'Connor
19865-488: Was also broadcast live on BBC Radio Wales; celebrating 100 years of rugby league in Wales as Oldham were the first visitors to the Principality back in September 1907 when they recorded a 25–6 win over Merthyr Tydfil. A club record attendance of 3441 watched Crusaders cruised into a 22–4 half-time lead, before eventually losing the match 26–34. The away match against Keighley was honoured in the same historical way as on
20010-454: Was brought to Bridgend and Cardiff in April with fans getting the chance to see it at shopping centres and schools, rugby league was introduced to Pembrokeshire for the first time, and just like in previous seasons various Crusaders players picked up individual awards and honours. The first season of Super League for the team was bitterly disappointing, as after three years of strong performances
20155-415: Was created by Matthew Haselden a designer based in the midlands. For four seasons Brewery Field was the home of the Crusaders, from 2006 to 2009. It is located in Bridgend, South Wales and the first match ever played there was against Harlequins Academy on 29 January 2006, however, the first competitive fixture was against London Skolars on 5 March 2006. It is the twelfth largest stadium in Wales, and in 2009
20300-494: Was crucial for the Crusaders, as to fulfill their aim of applying for a Super League licence for the 2009 season, the team would have to be playing in the National League One in 2008, and thus had to be promoted this season. Leighton Samuel brought in his solicitor, David Thompson, as chief executive of the club to oversee the application for Super League. In January both Jace Van Dijk and John Dixon finished second in
20445-622: Was due to be restructured and expanded for the 2006 season. The demise of the Celtic Warriors team and backing by businessman Leighton Samuel gave an opportunity for a team to be based in Bridgend, however Coventry Bears and Bramley Buffaloes, who reached the National League Three Grand Final, also wanted a place in National League Two. The initial plan to re-use the 'Celtic Warriors' name was abandoned in favour of 'Celtic Crusaders' which had been considered by
20590-850: Was due to be the club's only friendly match. Unofficially Super League was welcomed into Wales in January as Richard Lewis, the Rugby League Football Executive chairman, attended the Welsh Assembly's inaugural rugby league dinner at the Millennium Stadium. On the field the squad was bolstered by news that eight players had been granted visas just a week before the club's top-flight début as National League One Grand Finalists Tony Duggan, Josh Hannay, Mark Dalle Cort, Damien Quinn, Jace Van Dijk, Darren Mapp and new signings Australian Ryan O'Hara and Papua New Guinean Jason Chan flew to Wales. An early February start kicked off
20735-518: Was passed and received Royal Assent, thus making the Welsh language an officially recognised language within Wales. The measure: The measure required public bodies and some private companies to provide services in Welsh. The Welsh government's Minister for Heritage at the time, Alun Ffred Jones , said, "The Welsh language is a source of great pride for the people of Wales, whether they speak it or not, and I am delighted that this measure has now become law. I am very proud to have steered legislation through
20880-618: Was picked for the Great Britain Students side that toured Australia. whilst a further six players made it into the Wales national team that faced Scotland. During June coach Dixon signed three Welsh internationals, Gareth Dean from Carcassonne , Aled James from the Sheffield Eagles and Gareth Price from the Hull Kingston Rovers . At the end of the season Welsh international Anthony Blackwood was signed from Halifax . In May, Brynteg High School in Bridgend reached
21025-516: Was the smallest stadium in Super League, with a capacity of 8,000. The ground was built in 1920 and is now home to Bridgend Ravens rugby union and Bridgend football clubs. The club played a total of 58 matches at Brewery Field, including the club's first-ever Super League game against Hull. A game against Huddersfield Giants in Super League XIV was the last ever time the team played at Brewery Field on 5 September 2009. The Racecourse Ground
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