In the Championship One and Northern Rail Cup fixture announcement this morning, it was revealed that North Wales Crusaders will commence their league campaign with a trip to the Gnoll as they face South Wales Scorpions on 1st April, live on Premier Sports.
Crusaders will also end their season against the South Walians whilst Oldham Roughyeds, who North Wales Crusaders recorded the double over last season, will be the visitors to the Racecourse on 3rd March in North Wales’ first ever appearance in the Northern Rail Cup.
North Wales Crusaders will also take part in London Skolars’ annual ‘Friday Night Lights’ fixture next season, which will take place on the Friday night before the Challenge Cup Final.
Clive Griffiths commented on the fixture list for 2013: “It’s funny how the list has come around this way and it will be good to see what Scorpions bring to the table in that first game of the season. We’ve got plenty of rugby between now and then and we want to use our games to work towards the first league one [against South Wales Scorpions]“.
“We need to indentify our best side for next season, so hopefully the extra games this year in the Northern Rail Cup as well as our friendlies will allow us to do that. It will be interesting to see how we go in the Northern Rail Cup this year.”
On the ‘Friday Night Lights’ fixture, which is another game that is likely to be screened live on Premier Sports, he said: “It’s great to be playing Skolars before Challenge Cup day as anything like that is great for the club – it gets us more exposure and helps to raise our profile.”
The profile has already been raised a little of late as people have been talking about North Wales Crusaders’ chances next year, but Griffiths doesn’t want people to jump the gun. He added: “I’ve heard a lot of people naming us as favourites, which is very nice of them to talk about us in that way, but we’re still only a year old and we need to walk before we run.”
“We just want to improve and turn around the losses that we picked up last year. The boys are training really hard, trying to get in the best condition possible to challenge more next year.”
RFL Chief Operating Officer Ralph Rimmer said: “There is a real sense of anticipation surrounding the 2013 campaign and the introductions of Hemel, Gloucester and Oxford to the professional ranks has generated real interest in the Championship One competition.
“These clubs all offer the sport a unique opportunity to take games into areas where we haven’t been before and the potential to attract new fans, players and volunteers is something that we are all very excited about.”
The full fixture list is as follows:
Northern Rail Cup
North Wales Crusaders v Oldham Roughyeds
Sunday 3rd March (2:30pm)
Northern Rail Cup
Gateshead Thunder v North Wales Crusaders
Sunday 10th March (3:00pm)
Northern Rail Cup
North Wales Crusaders v Rochdale Hornets
Sunday 17th March (2:30pm)
Northern Rail Cup
Hemel Stags v North Wales Crusaders
Sunday 24th March (3:00pm)
Co-operative Championship One
South Wales Scorpions v North Wales Crusaders
Monday 1st April (KO TBC)
Co-operative Championship One
North Wales Crusaders v London Skolars
Sunday 14th April (2:30pm)
Co-operative Championship One
North Wales Crusaders v Gateshead Thunder
Sunday 28th April (2:30pm)
Co-operative Championship One
Rochdale Hornets v North Wales Crusaders
Sunday 5th May (3:00pm)
Co-operative Championship One
Oxford RL v North Wales Crusaders
Sunday 12th May (3:00pm)
Co-operative Championship One
North Wales Crusaders v Gloucestershire All Golds
Sunday 2nd June (2:30pm)
Co-operative Championship One
North Wales Crusaders v Oldham Roughyeds
Sunday 9th June (2:30pm)
Co-operative Championship One
Hemel Stags v North Wales Crusaders
Sunday 16th June (3:00pm)
Co-operative Championship One
Gloucestershire All Golds v North Wales Crusaders
Sunday 23rd June (3:00pm)
Co-operative Championship One
North Wales Crusaders v Rochdale Hornets
Sunday 30th June (2:30pm)
Co-operative Championship One
Oldham Roughyeds v North Wales Crusaders
Sunday 28th July (3:00pm)
Co-operative Championship One
Gateshead Thunder v North Wales Crusaders
Sunday 4th August (3:00pm)
Co-operative Championship One
North Wales Crusaders v Hemel Stags
Sunday 11th August (2:30pm)
Co-operative Championship One
North Wales Crusaders v Oxford RL
Sunday 18th August (2:30pm)
Co-operative Championship One
London Skolars v North Wales Crusaders
Friday 23rd August (KO TBC)
Co-operative Championship One
North Wales Crusaders v South Wales Scorpions
Sunday 1st September (2:30pm)
North Wales Crusaders season tickets for the 2013 season are still on sale and can be purchased by clicking here, in person at the office, or you can post your requests. Please make sure that cheques are made payable to North Wales Crusaders and are sent to North Wales Crusaders Office, Suite 3 Bryn Estyn Business Centre, Bryn Estyn Lane, Wrexham LL13 9TY.
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