East Cumbria Crusaders is a
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...
club based in
Carlisle,
Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. C ...
. They play in the
North East Division of the
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference (RLC) (also known as the Co-operative Rugby League Conference as a result of sponsorship from The Co-operative Group), was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England ...
. Their home ground is Creighton RUFC.
History
The club were founded in 2003 as Carlisle Centurions by former international
Bev Risman and joined the North West Division of the
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference (RLC) (also known as the Co-operative Rugby League Conference as a result of sponsorship from The Co-operative Group), was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England ...
which it won. The Centurions went on to reach the Grand Final of the Harry Jepson Trophy in 2003 when they were narrowly beaten at
Wilderspool Stadium
Wilderspool Stadium was a rugby league stadium in Warrington, England. The ground was Warrington RLFC's old ground before moving to the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
History
In 1898, Warrington RLFC moved to the Wilderspool Stadium. A 10-year lea ...
by
Bridgend Blue Bulls
The Blue Bulls (known as Bridgend Blue Bulls RLFC between 2003 and 2012) are a rugby league side based in Pyle, Wales. They play in the Welsh Premier of the Rugby League Conference. They are the most successful amateur rugby league team in Wal ...
.
The 2004 season saw Carlisle Centurions leave the Conference to join the newly formed
National League Three. Centurions 'A' continued to play in the Conference in a newly formed Cumbrian Division but withdrew mid-season.
However, Carlisle Centurions failed to complete the 2005 National League Three because of travelling difficulties causing serious player-availability issues. The club was reformed in 2006 under coach Geoff Grieves and returned to the Rugby League Conference in 2006 joining the North Division. The club began to cut its early reliance on out-of-season West Cumbrian
British Amateur Rugby League Association
The British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA) is an association for social and recreational rugby league. It works jointly with the Rugby Football League through the RFL Community Board.
History
BARLA was created in 1973 in Huddersfiel ...
players and focused on gaining new recruits. The club failed to reach the final losing out to
Liverpool Buccaneers.
Carlisle stepped up to the Premier North in 2007 and won it; they continued in this competition in 2008 and successfully defended their title. In both 2007 and 2008 the club lost out at the National semi-final stage to
Coventry Bears
The Midlands Hurricanes are a semi-professional rugby league club jointly based in Birmingham and Coventry, West Midlands, England. They were founded as the Coventry Bears in 1998 and entered the third tier of the British rugby league system, ...
and
Nottingham Outlaws, suffering for a lack of genuine competition in the Northern Premier competition. In 2009, they returned to National League Three reconstituted as the
Rugby League Conference National Division. Former
Workington Town
Workington Town R.L.F.C. is a semi-professional rugby league club playing in Workington in west Cumbria.
Their stadium is Derwent Park, which they share with Workington Comets, a speedway team.
They became Rugby League Champions in 1951 and ...
player Dennis Bibby became coach after Grieves left mid-season.
Carlisle Centurions withdrew from the National Division mid-season in 2010 after suffering a string of heavy defeats and struggling to raise a team.
The club regrouped as ''East Cumbria Crusaders'' with a host of younger, inexperienced players, playing out of Creighton rugby union club. They joined the
RLC North East Division. East Cumbria Crusaders moved up to the North East Premier Conference in 2012 after winning 13 of 14 regular league fixtures in the NE Regional Conference in 201
Honours
* RLC North West Division: 2003
* RLC North Division: 2006
* RLC North Premier: 2007, 2008
* RLC North East Regional: League Leaders' Shield 2011
* North East Rugby League Regional Division: 2013
External links
Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:East Cumbria Crusaders
Rugby League Conference teams
Rugby league teams in Cumbria
Rugby clubs established in 2003
2003 establishments in England
Sport in Carlisle, Cumbria
English rugby league teams