Championship basement boys launch rebrand with 2027 plans laid out

The Championship’s bottom club will be recognised as ‘Wales Crusaders’ from 2027, when they plan to play home games in both the north and south of the country.

Since being admitted into the third tier of the pyramid back in 2012 following liquidation, ‘North Wales Crusaders’ have skirted between the Championship and League 1.

Only last season, the Welsh side claimed the League 1 title – and were then merged, along with the other sides in the third tier, into the Championship with one bumper division formed.

But the club hit financial difficulties, and were eventually saved from collapse in May, but only after the Rugby Football League (RFL) had temporarily terminated their membership due to filing for insolvency.

What has followed on the field has been a mess, with North Wales sat bottom of the Championship ladder on -6 points with a points difference of -1,220: despite having three games left to play this season.

But big changes are afoot going into 2027, as confirmed by the club.

Championship basement boys launch rebrand with 2027 plans laid out

Wales Crusaders will relocate to the Electric Brewery Field Stadium in 2027, making that their permanent home.

The club have played their home games in Colwyn Bay since 2021, but will return to Bridgend, where Crusaders called home as they were first permitted entry into the professional game in the 2006 campaign.

However, not all home games in 2027 will be played there, as four or five are set to be taken on the road to South Wales.

All plans remain subject to the RFL granting the club their licence to compete next season, with Featherstone Rovers denied their licence for this season due to financial issues.

Chairman Jamie Elkaleh said: “Our ultimate goal is to boost rugby league in Wales as a whole. With our own home, we can now build a genuine, continuous pathway from the under-12s right through to the first-team.

“Furthermore, we are deeply committed to operating comprehensive Women’s, Wheelchair, and Learning Disability Rugby League (LDRL) teams.

“This is about making rugby league accessible to everyone in Wales and providing a platform where all talent can thrive.”

WATCH THE LRL PODCAST!