Celtic Crusaders and Wales Rugby League officials alike are delighted with the successful start to the 2008 Welsh Rugby League season with a record number of players and teams taking part in the game.

The brand new Celtic Crusaders Colts side, have shot to the top of the Conference National League with six wins and a draw in their first seven games, the Welsh Conference Premier has also kicked off with many players taking to the rugby league field for the first time, while new club, Tydfil Wildcats, played their first matches at under 13 and under 15 level last Saturday.

Crusaders Colts, who next take to the field on Saturday when they face Bramley Buffaloes at the Brewery Field (kick-off 2.30pm) before Celtic Crusaders’ National League One game against Batley Bulldogs have been proclaimed by many as one of the biggest Welsh Rugby League success stories in years.

In their first seven games, they have scored 364 points at an average of 52 per game, and of the 28 players that have already turned out for them, 26 are Welsh with the same number of players being aged 22 years old or under.

The majority of the side have come from the Welsh Rugby League Conference but there are a few who are new to rugby league - Josh Hannam, Ceri Young and Ben Flower who have all learned their trade at regional rugby union side Newport Gwent Dragons, and have all been successful in the infancy of their careers in the 13-man code.

Flower, who has already turned out six times for the Crusaders first team, scored a hat-trick of tries last week against East Lancashire Lions and is tipped by some as a future Welsh international, while Young and Hannam, have both recently made successful try-scoring debut for the Colts.

Another Newport-born player, Lloyd White, the man of the match in last season’s Welsh Rugby League Grand Final will become the first Conference National player to reach 100 points for the season if he scores six points against Bramley on Saturday.

General Manager for Wales Rugby League, Caro Wild is delighted at how 2008 is turning out for Crusaders Colts and rugby league in Wales in general.

“It’s very pleasing to see the increase of rugby league at all levels in Wales, and in particular the record numbers of junior now playing the sport,” he said.

“The Welsh Conference looks like it’s going to be one of the most open in years with all teams boasting new recruits who are thoroughly enjoying themselves playing a new brand of rugby, while more juniors are playing the game in the

Principality than ever before.”

“We are all delighted to see the Colts performing so well, they are playing some fantastic rugby league, and it is great to see Welsh-born players from the local clubs playing at a high level.”

Tydfil Wildcats are one of the new junior sides in South Wales and they kicked off at under 13 and under 15 level on Saturday. And even though they suffered defeats at the hands of Newport Titans and Cardiff Demons respectively, the fact that rugby league has re-started again in Merthyr Tydfil after a gap of almost 100 years is a success in itself.

Wildcats chairman Ian Gwynne, was delighted at the start that the teams made.

“The number of players who turned out this Saturday says it all,” he said. “We didn’t think we were going to have an under 15s side this season but we had so many lads interested and full squads of 17 in both matches.

“It was an absolutely fantastic day. I was proud of all the players who turned out and the under 15s made Cardiff fight for their 50-32 win all the way. When you consider that we were taken to bits in the first half and were already six tries down, we pretty much won the second half and outscored Cardiff by a couple of tries - there’s some good talent there.”

The Wildcats have already had success off the field in securing a £1,000 Community Chest grant from the Sports Council for Wales, they have already had players selected for Welsh junior sides while they hope to expand to have a senior side and further junior teams over the next three seasons.

Celtic Crusaders’ football manager and assistant coach Anthony Seibold is delighted at how the new club has taken off.

“The success of the introduction of the Wildcats is exactly the type of thing we’ve wanted to see developing in rugby league in Wales,” he said. “More new sides in Wales means more players coming through our player pathways.

“Developing the junior talent in Wales had been first and foremost in our mind for the future of Welsh Rugby League. If these and other lads are developed well in their rugby league skills, they could be selected for Crusaders junior sides, then the Colts and then the first team, hopefully in Super League, and even full international honours. 2008 could turn out to be a memorable year for rugby league in Wales at development level. So much is happening here and it’s all looking good for the future of the sport.”

article by Ian Golden
29 May 2008