Crusaders face tough start to life in the Super League; Celtic new boys kick-off with clash at Leeds Rhinos.CELTIC Crusaders The Celtic Crusaders are a rugby league club based in Bridgend, Wales, United Kingdom. They joined National League Two in 2006, and were promoted to National League One at the end of the 2007 season. have been handed the hardest possible start to their Super League adventure - a trip to world club champions Leeds Rhinos Leeds Rhinos are a professional rugby league club who are based in Headingley in north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire.They are the current Super League Champions. They are owned by the same company that also run Leeds Carnegie rugby union team. . The Crusaders begin life in the top flight of domestic rugby league in the opening match of the engage Super League season on Friday, February 6. The two teams met in the Challenge Cup earlier this year, Leeds winning 38-16. More familiar opposition follows with a trip to Salford City Reds Salford City Reds are a British professional rugby league club based in Salford near Manchester. They play in the National League One following the clubs relegation from the Super League in 2007. - the team which pipped the Crusaders in the National League One Grand Final last season - before the first home match against Hull FC on Saturday, February 21. St Helens St Helens may refer to: Places:
Crusaders head coach John Dixon is looking forward to the challenge. "Playing the Super League and world club champions in our first Super League fixture provides us with the best possible introduction to playing at the elite level," he said. "We look forward to the game. "Having Hull come to Bridgend to play us in a Super League fixture is the mark of how much progress has been made at the Crusaders over the past three seasons. "This is the start of something special, something I'm certain, that the lovers of sport in Wales The most popular sports in Wales are football and rugby union. Wales, like other constituent nations of the UK, enjoys independent representation in major world sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup and in the Commonwealth Games (however as Great Britain in the will embrace." Dixon's enthusiasm is matched by Crusaders chief executive David Thompson. "Playing in Super League was the sole aim of the club when we first started playing in National League Two in 2006 and in some ways it feels like we have been preparing for the start of next season for the last three years. "Everyone at the club is veryexcited about next season and we're looking forward towelcoming the other Super League teams and fans to the Brewery Field. "This is a very exciting time for rugby league and Welsh sport." Crusaders will start their campaign with a pre-season friendly with fellow Super League side Harlequins at the Twickenham Stoop on Thursday, January 26. Meanwhile, former rugby league star Jason Robinson says the "in-built selfishness" of many Super League clubs needs to change after England's World Cup failure. Robinson said Super League clubs needed to look at the bigger picture if England are to improve at Test level. "Two weeks need to be taken out the Super League season for (a warm-up game), if we are serious about improving England's fortunes," said Robinson. "You would have to overcome the in-built selfishness of the clubs to do that." England, who flew out to Australia with high hopes, were a major disappointment at the World Cup, winning just one of their four games before falling to defeat against New Zealand New Zealand (zē`lənd), island country (2005 est. pop. 4,035,000), 104,454 sq mi (270,534 sq km), in the S Pacific Ocean, over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) SE of Australia. The capital is Wellington; the largest city and leading port is Auckland. in the semi-final. They conceded 142 points in their four games, with a 52-4 thrashing by Australia handing them their worst World Cup defeat. sport@mediawales.co.uk CAPTION(S): NEW ERA: Celtic Crusaders kick off their Super League campaign away to Leeds Rhinos on February 6 |
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