Championship rugby league club North Wales Crusaders have confirmed that they’re seeking new investment after the club’s majority owners withdrew funding, leaving the future of the club in doubt.
The Crusaders won League One only last year and have since become part of the amalgamated second tier that features Championship and League One clubs.
Thus far, they’ve won three of their eight games in the league and sit 12th, however, their future is now in doubt after the club released a statement to confirm that investment will now stop.
Back in December 2024, North Wales were acquired by The Eggchaser Group, a company with a specialism in rugby 7’s as well as the designing and manufacturing of kits.
Per the club’s latest statement, the majority owners now no longer wish to ‘fund the additional costs to run the club’. What that means is that the Crusaders will be solely funded on central distribution from the Rugby Football League, of which there is very little, and matchday revenue.
As such, the club have sought immediate interest in investors with a statement shared on social media about the future of the club, Wales’ only professional rugby league side.
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Rugby League club facing uncertain future
A statement shared on Facebook read: “Due to a change in circumstances, the owners of the North Wales Crusaders have concluded that they will no longer fund the additional costs to run the club with immediate effect.”
The statement confirmed that the current owners did clear up a ‘lot of of historical issues and debt’, but added: “The current situation with regard to costs and competitive league set-up isn’t tenable for the owners and an adjustment to the business plan is needed.
“The shareholders have been working in the background to identify suitable partners, who may provide a combination of values that would be ideal to give North Wales Crusaders an opportunity to thrive, making the most of the location, talent and facilities.
“As yet we do not have an agreement in place, so we want to make public that we are looking for a new majority shareholder, someone with the passion for the project in North Wales that we have.”
The club went on to acknowledge the uncertainty that such a situation would create, calling on fans to get behind the club with a strong show of support in upcoming home fixtures against Midlands Hurricanes and Salford RLFC.
The statement concluded: “Due to the ongoing competitive season, this is very much a time sensitive matter, so please if you are interested in supporting the Crusaders’ next phase, make contact with the club at commercial@nwcrusaders.uk.”
It’s a statement that will cause plenty of concern and raise yet more questions about the state of rugby league in the UK, particularly the ability for so many professional clubs to exist when there is so little money to go around.
Should the Crusaders suffer a financial event such as administration or liqudiation, they would become the fourth side in the last six months after Salford Red Devils, Featherstone Rovers and Halifax Panthers.
