Crusaders
organise coaches from the Valleys

Celtic Crusaders, who won their first match 50-10 on Sunday, announced this week that they are looking to organise coach trips to home matches from the Welsh valleys.

At the Crusaders? press launch on Monday, their chief executive, Chris O?Callaghan said that there had been considerable interest to do this from fans from all areas of the valleys including Rhondda, Merthyr and Aberdare.

O?Callaghan said: ?We are looking at possibility of running coaches from the valleys to the Brewery Field for our first game at home on March 5th. We?ll be having two matches at the Brewery Field that day, a Northern Rail Cup match against London Skolars and an Academy match against Super League side Widnes Vikings. We?ll be putting on a good day for the whole family with entertainment for the kids as well as the rugby. We want to make it as easy as possible for fans to come and see us as we are a team for the whole of Wales.?

O?Callaghan also emphasised that rugby league is no longer there to compete with rugby union.

?Those days are gone,? added O?Callaghan, ?We are a summer sport ? it fills the gap left by union in the sporting calendar. We must work along side the local rugby union clubs such as Aberavon, Neath, Maesteg and Bridgend, there is simply no point in the two codes going head to head.

?We are the fastest growing sport in Wales. Over 600 people played rugby league last year in Aberavon alone. The Challenge Cup Final also proved that, as over 15,000 people spectators were Welsh. This is a sport on the up but not necessarily at the expense of any other.?

The Crusaders next turn out on Sunday with an away match at London Skolars.