On Saturday a contingent of 11 Crusaders Masters, helped to make up a combined team with North East Thunder, to travel to Arlecdon in West Cumbria. The purpose of the day was to dust off those boots and launch Masters Rugby League for the 2026 season. Despite the sizeable journey everyone arrived in good order and after an obligatory look at impressive amount of artifacts inside the Arlecdon Rams club house, it was off to get ready for our first game, which was against Barrow Masters. However before a ball was passed in the Spirit of Masters our first candidate for Masters Comedy Moment came for Darren. Who, having left the changing room some 15 minutes earlier, suddenly realised he’d forgotten to put his shorts on! For those now mentally scarred by that image we can assure you all, that intimate body parts were secure in his Under Armour, he just neglected to put his Master’s red shorts on top! Crusaders have been working on some structure in training and after a settling in period, the things we had been working on started to work. The team were much more controlled and made good yardage, our completion rate was also massively up. Defensively we struggled at times with the Gold Shorters with Tags, and we had to concede giving one of them Master of the Match, we actually wanted to give it to his tailor who did mighty fine job sowing them on, but Barrow wouldn’t reveal his details!!!! The Barrow game also revealed another Master’s Comedy moment. After a decent return set from within our own half Ladel Foot Longden shaped himself up for the kick on the 5th! Head down, leg following through, BANG ….. and the ball sailed out on the full, over the outer fence, straight over road and eventually came to rest on a building site! Awesome! Our next game immediately followed against Carlisle. This time our structure wasn’t as rigid which worked well in attack but had us back pedalling on a couple of occasions in defence. There was much more flow to our attacking game in this one and we spread the ball well and had some good combinations going on. One combination that paid dividends was when, Scotland Masters Head Coach, Ian, popped out from dummy half and ran at a gap to offload to his Scotland Masters Captain, Grant (guesting from Arlecdon), who took the ball the rest of the way for a try. There is slightly more to the superb try, but we didn’t want to encourage any more poetic licence than it’s already had. It’s gone from evading 1 tackler to 6 and a 20m run to almost 65! We’ll let it rest. A mighty fine plate of sausage and chips was provided as a refuel by the brilliant Arlecdon staff. Arlecdon had a trophy for each individual team’s Master of the Match. Ours went to Ben, very well deserved. After the awards the raffle proved fruitful for Ladel Foot who bagged himself a free Mothers Day present, oops, we mean a bottle of Prosecco, sorry Longers! Congratulations to our debutants, Mike, Ally and Domo who also pick up there heritage numbers. Finally, the Breakfast Crew turned into the Curry Club for this one, due to the AGM. 7 of us descended on Amantola in Richmond on our return for a very nice spread! Crusaders Masters would like to thank our shirt sponsors Marstons, our polo sponsors Burties Hair Design, eCreative, Lighthouse Risk Management, iSecure Group and Top Third. We’d also like to thank our training apparel sponsors. The Hildyard Arms, 4 aces, Richie McGrath pre-training and breaking, JDN First Aid and AA First.

After several weeks of training the eagerly anticipated Masters Launch Festivals get underway around the UK. As has been the norm for previous seasons, Catterick Crusaders Masters are teaming up with North East Thunder Masters for the festival. The team will be taking a trip over to picturesque Arlecdon in Cumbria for their festival. Making their debut as Crusaders registered players are Ally Dewar, Mike Day and Autiko Domo, and they will earn their heritage numbers. Whilst regular guest Andy Shute from UKAF Masters also joins us for the fun. The North East Thunder Masters contingent consists of Barry Sharrock and Alex Cooke-Smith, whilst Jason Grant MBE, Paul Goad, Gareth Smith, Ben Smith, James Tyreman, John Longden, Darren Cunnington and Ian McKechnie from Crusaders complete the line up. The team have kindly been given the last two games of the day. First up is our friends from Barrow, who we meet for two none festival fixtures later in the season. That game is immediately followed by a run out against Carlisle. Crusaders Masters are always looking for new players to join the team. If you’re interested please get in touch.

Our Cubs had another brilliant session this week, packed with fun, movement, and early rugby foundations. At this age, our focus is always on creating an enjoyable, confidence‑building environment while developing each child’s Stability, Object Control, and Locomotion skills (SOL), the building blocks for all future sport. Every player had their own ball throughout the session, helping them practise their best grip and build familiarity while playing our games. 🚦 2–4 Year Olds: Fun, Movement & Early Skills The youngest Cubs kicked off with our ever‑popular Traffic Lights warm‑up: • Red – stop • Yellow – an exercise on the spot • Green – run around and explore the space Once warmed up, it was time for Balance the Bean Bag. Starting still with the bean bag on their head, the players progressed to walking and then running brilliant for balance, coordination, and body control. Next came Score a Try on the Dot, where players ran around and then dashed to the coloured dot called out by the coach before continuing their run. This helps with listening skills, reaction time, and directional movement. The session finished with a firm favourite: Bean Bag Tag. Players ran around avoiding bean bags gently thrown by the coach. If tagged, they gave a high‑five to their grown‑up before rejoining the game. It’s simple, safe, and always a huge hit! 🏉 4–6 Year Olds: Same Fun, Extra Challenge The older Cubs followed the same session structure but with an added layer of ball‑handling development. Instead of simply holding the ball securely, they responded to: • “Ball up” – ball at the 12 o’clock position • “Ball down” – ball at the 6 o’clock position • “Swing the ball” – swinging the ball in the 6 o’clock position These cues help build early mechanics that will eventually lead into confident, accurate passing. The group handled the challenge brilliantly and showed great focus while still having loads of fun. 🌟 A Brilliant Session All Round We had fantastic numbers this week and even more fantastic smiles. The Cubs showed great enthusiasm, listened well, and threw themselves into every activity. Watching their confidence grow each week is a real joy. 👋 We’re Always Looking for New Superstars If you have a little one aged 2–6 who loves to run, play, explore, and have fun, we’d love to welcome them to the Catterick Crusaders Cubs. It’s a brilliant way to build confidence, coordination, and friendships and we promise plenty of laughter along the way.

Our Under 12s delivered another brilliant session this week, with the focus firmly on building tackle confidence and sharpening safe, effective technique. The energy was high from the very start, and the players threw themselves into every challenge with determination and maturity. ⚡ High-Intensity Warm-Up The session opened with what Neil jokingly called a “military training” warm‑up — and it certainly lived up to the name. The players worked through: • Acceleration drills • Deceleration and controlled stopping • Plyometric movements These exercises fired up their muscles, improved reaction speed, and prepared them for the contact work ahead. 🐻 Contact Preparation: Super Bear Crawl Before moving into full tackling, the group completed a super bear crawl contact warm‑up. This helped them get comfortable with low body positions, engage their core, and switch into a physical, focused mindset. 💥 Tackling Technique & Confidence The main part of the session centred on developing safe, confident tackling. The players worked on: • Staying low and breaking at the hips • Correct foot placement for balance • Strong shoulder contact • Safe head position — cheek to cheek As confidence grew, the group moved onto the tackle mat, combining all the technical points into a controlled drill. The improvement was clear to see — excellent technique, strong focus, and a real willingness to learn. 🏉 Finishing With a Tactical Touch Game To round things off, the players took part in a game of touch with specific tactical goals: • Defenders held a straight defensive line, moving up together • Attackers worked on finding and exploiting space • The previous tackler had to retreat to their try line, naturally creating gaps This allowed the group to apply their defensive and attacking principles in a game-like situation, reinforcing teamwork, communication, and decision‑making. 💪 A Fantastic Session From a Committed Group The effort, attitude, and improvement across the board were outstanding. Every player pushed themselves, supported their teammates, and showed real growth in both confidence and technique. We’re incredibly proud of this group and excited to see how they continue to develop over the coming weeks. 👋 New Players Are Always Welcome If your child is interested in joining the Catterick Crusaders family, we’d love to welcome them. Whether they’re brand new to rugby or looking to build on existing skills, our coaches and players create a supportive, fun, and confidence‑building environment for everyone.

This week our Under 8s and Under 10s focused on one of the most important foundations of rugby: defence. The coaches built the session step‑by‑step to help the players understand positioning, teamwork, and discipline, all while keeping it fun and full of energy. 🔥 Warming Up With Bulldog We kicked things off with a lively game of Bulldog. This wasn’t just to get the players moving, it also helped the coaches see how quickly the children reacted to the call of “bulldog” and how they adjusted their movement under pressure. The players loved it, and it set the tone for a high‑energy session. ✋ Two‑Hand Touch & Defensive Thinking The game then progressed into two‑hand touch, encouraging the players to start thinking about where they should be in defence. This helped them understand spacing and how to track an attacker without overcommitting. 🤝 Hunting in Pairs Next, the players worked in pairs, holding hands and moving together. This simple activity encouraged communication, teamwork, and staying connected. Which is key skills for maintaining a strong defensive line. 🎽 Tag Belts & Free Play Tag belts were introduced next, and the players were given five minutes of free play with no coaching input. This allowed them to play naturally, make decisions on their own, and show what they understood without prompts. 🟦 Channel Defence The pitch was then divided into narrow channels, each no wider than five metres. Two defenders were placed in each channel and had to stay within their zone, while attackers could move freely. This exercise helped the players learn: • Discipline — staying in their area • Awareness — trusting teammates to cover their own channels • Shape — avoiding the common habit of chasing the ball and leaving gaps 🏉 Finishing Strong We wrapped up with a conditioned tag game, reinforcing everything learned: staying in shape, holding the line, and working together. 🌟 A Huge Well Done to All Players Every single player showed brilliant enthusiasm and effort. They listened well, answered questions confidently, and showed real determination throughout the session. We’re incredibly proud of how they’re developing, and we can’t wait to see how much they grow over the next few weeks. 👋 Want to Get Involved? If your child is interested in joining the Catterick Crusaders family, please get in touch. We’d love to welcome new players and help them build confidence, skills, and friendships through rugby.

The wait is over… we’re proud to unveil the brand-new playing kit for Catterick Crusaders RLFC ! 💙🏉 This season’s shirt represents more than just a fresh design — it showcases the fantastic local businesses backing our club every step of the way. 👕 Supplied by the Best A huge thank you to Pronto Teamwear , our official kit supplier, for delivering a high-quality, performance-ready strip that our players will wear with pride. The new kit combines comfort, durability, and a sharp look that truly reflects the spirit of the Crusaders. Our new club shop will be up and running in the next couple of weeks. ⭐ Our Main Shirt Sponsor Taking pride of place on the front of the shirt is Fusion Joinery , our main sponsor for the season. Their support plays a massive role in helping the club grow, develop talent, and continue providing opportunities for players across all age groups. We’re incredibly grateful to have them leading the way on our 2026 kit. 👀 Backing Us All the Way Featured on the back of the shirt are Specsavers & Hearing Centre Harrogate , whose continued community support helps keep grassroots sport thriving. We’re proud to carry their name as we compete throughout the season. 💪 Supporting on the Sleeves Our sleeves are backed by two fantastic local businesses: Left Arm Sponsor: Emmels Tree and Garden Services Right Arm Sponsor: eCreative Designs UK Both companies are passionate supporters of local sport, and their sponsorship helps ensure our teams step onto the pitch looking professional and united. This shirt isn’t just about a new design — it’s about partnership, community, and ambition. Every logo represents a business investing in local rugby league and helping us build something special here at the Crusaders. We can’t wait to see our players pull on the new kit and represent our sponsors with pride throughout the season. We have further sponsorship opportunities available at Crusaders if you would like more information please email info.crusadersrlfc@gmail.com

There’s something special about pulling on a Crusaders shirt — the colours, the pride, the history, the sense that you’re part of something bigger. And this season, that feeling gets an extra boost, because we’re thrilled to announce Fusion Joinery as our brand‑new main shirt sponsor. Fusion Joinery aren’t just masters of their craft — they’re a business built on precision, passion, and proper hard work. Sounds a bit like the Crusaders, doesn’t it? From bespoke builds to beautiful finishes, they know how to create something strong, reliable, and built to last. Exactly the kind of qualities we want to take onto the pitch every week. Their support means more than a logo on the front of a shirt. It’s an investment in our players, our juniors, our volunteers, and our community. It helps us grow the club, strengthen our pathways, and keep rugby league thriving in Catterick and beyond. We’re proud to wear the Fusion Joinery name across our chests this season — and we’re even prouder to welcome them into the Crusaders family. With their backing, we’re ready to tackle the year with even more determination, ambition, and maybe a few extra fancy offloads. Here’s to a season of big hits, big tries, and big things ahead. Welcome aboard, Fusion Joinery — let’s build something brilliant together.

Catterick Crusaders RLFC are thrilled to announce a brand‑new partnership that’s as sharp as our attack and as solid as our defence. This season, Specsavers Hearing Center Harrogate will proudly feature as an official sponsor on our playing shirts — and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome them into the Crusaders family. Specsavers are known for helping people see the world more clearly, and now they’ll be helping the Crusaders look the part on and off the field. With their name on our shirts, we’re ready to take the season head‑on with clarity, confidence, and maybe even a bit more accuracy when it comes to those long passes. This partnership isn’t just about logos — it’s about community. Specsavers Hearing Center Harrogate share our passion for supporting local sport, encouraging young talent, and backing the people who make grassroots rugby league what it is. Their support helps us continue to grow, develop, and give our players the platform they deserve. So here’s to a season of big tackles, bold plays, and brilliant vision — both on the pitch and in partnership. A massive Crusaders welcome to Specsavers Hearing Center Harrogate. We’re proud to have you on our shirts and in our corner.

We’ve got some brilliant news to share — eCreative Designs UK are officially joining the Crusaders family as one of our shirt sponsors for the upcoming season! We’re absolutely delighted to have them on board. Support from local businesses makes a huge difference to grassroots clubs like ours, and it means the world to have a company backing what we’re building here at the Crusaders. Catterick Crusaders has always been about more than just rugby. We’re about teamwork, community spirit, developing players, and creating a club everyone can be proud to be part of. Their sponsorship helps us provide quality kit for our players and keeps the club moving forward both on and off the pitch. Keep an eye out this season for our brand-new playing shirts featuring the eCreative Designs UK logo. We can’t wait to see our teams wearing them with pride and representing both the club and our amazing sponsor. From all the players, coaches, volunteers, and families at Catterick Crusaders — thank you, eCreative Designs UK for your support. Partnerships like this help us continue to grow, develop young talent, and create a positive environment for everyone involved. Please click to go to eCreative Designs UK online shop. Be sure to show them some love.

Big News for Catterick Crusaders RLFC! We’re excited to share that Emmels Tree and Garden Services are on board as our official playing shirt sponsor for the upcoming season! A trusted and well-respected local business, Emmels have built a fantastic reputation around Catterick for their professional tree care and landscaping services. Now, they’re showing their support for grassroots rugby league — and we couldn’t be happier to have them backing the Crusaders. This partnership means you’ll see the Emmels logo proudly displayed on our playing shirts as our teams take to the field this season. Their support helps us continue to develop our players, provide quality kit, and to help keep building a strong, community-focused club that everyone can be proud of. Sponsorships like this make a real difference, and we’re incredibly grateful for their commitment to supporting Catterick Crusaders. If you’re looking for tree pruning, garden maintenance, or landscaping services, be sure to check out Emmels Tree and Garden Services — and thank them for supporting the Crusaders when you do! We can’t wait to see you all at the games this season. Let’s make it a big one!

This Saturday marked the start of our 2026 season, and what a fantastic opening it was! We had great numbers across all age groups, and even the weather couldn’t stop our superstars from getting stuck in. From our Cubs right through to the Under 16s, each and every player gave an amazing effort. The energy, enthusiasm, and teamwork on display showed exactly what Catterick Crusaders is all about, and we couldn’t be prouder of everyone who took part. We’re incredibly excited for the season ahead and can’t wait to see what’s to come for all our teams. Training takes place every Saturday at 10am at Wavell Playing Fields. If you have a child interested in coming along to try rugby, please message us — we’d love to welcome you to the club. See you all next week!

On Saturday 8 of our Masters team took up the offer from the Richmondshire RU Walking Rugby team, to give them a training game ahead of their game against Pocklington next week. The gap of the off season clearly hadn’t added any shyness to our Masters as the laughter started almost immediately, on arrival, with some lively banter and quick whit. The game itself was split into 3 x 15 minute periods. The game was played fantastic spirit with a high level of sportsmanship and was officiated really well. It was fantastic to be out with ball in hand again and the team showed some great skill in trying to create space and in their push and support game. Post match was taken at the Holly Hill pub with a curry and few well recieved beers. Crusaders Masters would like to thank Richmondshire RU Walking Rugby team for a great game and their hospitality, a very enjoyable afternoon. Crusaders Masters would like to thank our shirt sponsors Marstons, our polo sponsors Burties Hair Design, eCreative, Lighthouse Risk Management, iSecure Group hand Top Third. We’d also like to thank our training apparel sponsors. The Hildyard Arms, 4 aces, Richie McGrath pre-training and breaking, JDN First Aid and AA First.