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It’s been a slow start to the season with our Primary Rugby League level teams, but on Saturday our U7’s took a huge leap forward, with great numbers. With one returnee who brought his buddy and an amazing 4 new players from Coach Jason’s after school delivery at Le Cateau Primary School, everything was shaping up for a fun session! Just like the older teams, the team started with a warm up, but no dynamics for this bunch, they cut straight to the fun stuff. Firstly with a game of Pinch-A-Bib and then Chaos Tag. The fun games continued into their learning, with a game of Cops and Robbers to practice their grip. They then moved on to some passing, before finishing the session with a game of Tag rugby. Crusaders U7’s would love to see even more players, join in the fun! U7’s is Tag Rugby small sided games where players get lots of opportunities to catch, pass, run and evade. Please get in touch if you think your child would like to get involved! Next week see’s the team playing against other North East teams at a festival hosted by the club at Robertson Rd.

On Saturday a couple of Crusaders U8’s made the journey up the A1 to take part in Gateshead Storm’s festival. With numbers across the board for True 8’s (school year 3), being pretty low, a couple of rapidly assembled baa-baa teams was the order of the day! Crusaders dynamic duo, Teddy and Beauden matched up with a player from Yarm and a player from Cramlington. Whilst a pair of players from, both, Storm and Consett formed the opposition. An absolutely fantastic game took place. Less players, more individual action! Defensively all players made their contact count with some great tackles. Clearly club coaches have done a great job as there was not a fling tackle in sight. From a Crusaders perspective both Beauden and Teddy showed great technique with the latter sticking in a number of well executed side tackles to stop the opposition from scoring. In attack, both sides played some great rugby. Jinking runs, slick passing and great offloads. The running opportunities within the sets of 6 were well shared out and every player had plenty of time on the ball. Again, from a Crusaders point of view, Teddy went for the direct approach with some cracking barging runs that kept the opposition working hard to stop him. Beauden used his great foot work throughout the game with quick footed jinking runs to cut through the opposition. Both our Crusaders were happy with their try tally for the game. Despite the slightly lower numbers, the game was a fantastic game. All players displayed a good level of skill, both on and off the ball. Crusaders are actively recruiting Year 3 (contact) and Year 2 (tag) players to join our great club. Please get in touch if you think your child would like to get involved.

Crusaders Under-10s headed to Gateshead Storm for an exciting rugby festival, showcasing skill, teamwork, and determination across three competitive matches. Game 1: Yarm/Consett The Crusaders started strong, putting on an impressive attacking display. Alfred led the charge with a hat-trick of tries, while Noah B added another to the tally. Defensive efforts were equally commendable, with Lukas, Seb, Noah B, and Max putting in solid tackles to keep the opposition at bay. Game 2: Storm A great battling performance from both sides, the Crusaders showed resilience and determination. Noah B and Lochlan each crossed the try line, demonstrating the team’s attacking flair. On defence, Noah F stood out with two crucial tackles, alongside strong contributions from Noah B, Lochlan, and Henry. Game 3: Cramlington The Crusaders had another impressive performance. Noah B added two more tries to his tally, with Lochlan and Alfred also scoring. Lukas, Alfred, Noah F, and Austin made key tackles, showing grit and determination on the defensive end. Player Awards - Parents’ Player: Noah B – for his outstanding contributions throughout the matches. - Coaches’ Player: Alfred – recognizing his exceptional performance and leadership on the field. The team displayed fantastic effort and sportsmanship throughout the festival, proving that the future of Crusaders rugby is bright! Next Festival: The Crusaders will be back in action at their own grounds on the 31st of May, hosting another exciting event.

Catterick Crusaders U14 launched their NERL League campaign in dominant fashion with a comprehensive 46–6 victory over Yarm Wolves U14 in the first leg. From the opening whistle, the Crusaders set the tone with aggressive carries and relentless pressure, consistently punching holes in the Yarm defence. Their ability to ship the ball out wide to the fringes created repeated overlaps, leading to a string of well-executed tries. Coupled with some textbook defending, Catterick controlled the first half from start to finish. By the break, they held a commanding 26–6 lead, leaving Yarm with plenty to think about. The second half saw Catterick step things up another gear, showcasing not just power, but flair. A few clever chips over the top caught Yarm off guard, leading to more scoring opportunities. Defensively, the Crusaders remained solid, shutting down any Wolves attack with some excellent cover tackles and line speed. In the end, Catterick finished with an emphatic 46–6 win, sending a strong message to the rest of the league. With the second leg still to come, the Crusaders will look to carry this momentum forward and continue their strong start to the season. A number of strong performances across the park, but it was the Crusaders’ teamwork and discipline that stood out most in this commanding victory. Next Fixture: Yarm Wolves will look to bounce back in the second leg, but Catterick Crusaders will be keen to build on this dominant showing and continue their unbeaten run in the league where they host Consett Eagles at home at Robertson road on 24/5/25 with a 1030KO. We would also like to thank our sponsors for there support this season.

On Saturday it wasn’t just the bright sun that raised temperatures, as Crusaders and Yarm Wolves served up a scorcher at Yarm’s, Grosvenor Rd pitch. Crusaders had suffered from a lack of prolonged preparation prior to game, managing just a single session on Wednesday night that had good numbers. It was great to see the players putting into practice the skills they had worked on, to great effect. From the off Crusaders pounded the Wolves line with some great build up work in the forwards. Once on a roll this allowed, halves, Isaiah and Simi to go hard at the line with support to ask telling questions of the Wolves players. It wasn’t long before Crusaders got onto the scoresheet through this approach. Wolves were never going to roll over with such a talented young squad, and added to a brilliant first half with a some hard running forwards laying a foundations for their half back to run across the Crusaders line to keep the Crusaders players guessing. A solid defensive display from Crusaders forced errors from the Wolves team which Crusaders were able to capitalise upon, going into half time, comfortably in front. Head Coach Ollie Redding’s messages at the break were clear and precise, stick to our processes, aim to get to the kick and maintain a solid defence. The second period started with a superb kick off return score by Simi. However shortly afterwards Crusaders were down to 12 when one player was sent for a 10 rest and re-assessment of his tackle technique! During that period Crusaders naivety in game management started to show. Rather than ensuring ball security through simple play, the team chanced offloads that weren’t finding the target, which Wolves exploited to the full. By the end of the sin binning, Wolves were just a score behind. Fortunately Crusaders forced an error inside their 20m, an effective play from the scrum saw Jack break through the defensive line to motor the rest the way to score. The rest of the game saw both sides giving it their all with players, such as Riley, playing through the bumps and bangs to continue playing in this epic. The score finished 38 - 30 in favour of Crusaders. Our U16’s will train on Wednesday night at 6. 30 pm at Wavell 4G pitches, under the watchful eye of former Newcastle Thunder Scholarship and Scottish Student international Oliver Redding. All new players are welcome.

Match Report: Catterick Crusaders U14s vs Scotland Rugby League U14s Venue: Kingston Park Stadium A thrilling contest unfolded at Kingston Park as the Catterick Crusaders Under 14s took on the Scotland Rugby League Under 14s in a high-intensity clash that showcased the very best of youth rugby league. Warm up The first half was a back-and-forth battle with both sides throwing everything into the contest. Big carries, crunching tackles, and moments of flair were on display from the opening whistle. Scotland managed to edge ahead just before the break, taking a narrow 12-8 lead into halftime despite Catterick’s relentless pressure and determined defence. After the interval, Catterick came out firing on all cylinders. Dominating possession and field position, the Crusaders started to take control. Their forwards laid a strong platform, punching holes through the Scottish line, while the backs capitalised with some slick ball movement and clinical finishing. Despite a few breaks from Scotland, Catterick’s defence stood firm under pressure, showing grit and discipline to shut down any threat. Importantly, this match saw several debutants proudly pull on the Catterick jersey for the first time , all of whom made a strong impact and showed great promise for the future. Their contributions were key in helping swing the momentum and build the pressure that led to crucial second-half tries. With a mix of experienced heads and fresh talent, Catterick pushed ahead and held strong in the closing minutes, sealing a hard-fought 20-16 win in what was a true team effort. It was a brilliant display of teamwork, resilience, and determination from Catterick Crusaders U14s — a match they can be proud of on such a big stage.

Crusaders Masters embarked on a road trip to Barrow-in-Furness on Saturday, trading tackles for camaraderie at the Cumbria Masters Festival. Before kickoff, Jase, Darren, Gaz, and Jay fueled up with a hearty breakfast at Tebay Truckstop – fry-ups all round after the oats with wild berries sold out before they got there - honest! The festival was hosted at the fantastic Barrow Island Community and Sports Hub, where organization was top-notch. Crusaders joined forces with Edinburgh Cannons' gents, and were drawn into Pool 2 against Carlisle, Maryport, and Blackpool Stanley. The games were filled with great Masters rugby and even better sportsmanship. Special thanks to Jay for stepping up as team first aider for the day, and to Goadie – the ultimate Masters spirit man! He ditched a family holiday in Corfu a day early to fly into Manchester and make the festival, showing true dedication. Huge thanks to our kit sponsors Marston, heritage polo sponsors Burties Hair Design, eCreative Designs, Top Third, iSecure Group, and Lighthouse Risk Services, and off-field gear sponsors The Hildyard Arms, Thirstywork, 4Aces, Richie McGrath Pre-Training and Breaking, JDN First Aid, and AA First Water Coolers.

Starting on 01 April, our Chairman, Jason Grant MBE, embarked on a personal challenge of 30 coldwater dips throughout the month of April. He now has just 5 dips to go! The purpose of the challenge is to raise money for an inclusion fund for the club. It’s pretty clear we never know what’s around the corner, anyone may need support at any time. Crusaders have always been proud to provide assistance in times of financial hardship - covering players subs, purchasing personal pieces of kit such as new boots, providing flowers and cards at times of reflection and tour funding contributions for our players. Jase would like to raise £1000, with Go Fund Me setting the first target as £700. Things are going well and through Go Fund Me and cash donations he has raised £490. Can you help boost funds? It would be fantastic to hit the target! Please see the below link to the fundraising page, and don’t forget to share! https://gofund.me/c152c271 Thanks in advance for your support. #crusadersfamily

Last Saturday morning saw twelve Crusaders head North, for their second u12s festival of the season. Cramlington hosted us and provided the opposition for our first game. In a closely fought contest both teams showed grit in defence to keep each other working hard for tries. In the end a 3 all draw was a fair result. Next up was a real end to end game against Yarm. This fixture was all about attack as both sides took it in turns to find holes in each other's defence. Crusaders ran out 8-7 winners in a game where they would feel they should have scored a few more. The final fixture saw a confident Crusaders display in both attack and defence against a second Cramlington side. Team work was in abundance as combinations came together to score some scintillating tries, whilst communication was on show in defence to keep opposition tries to a minimum. The lads ran out comfortable winners to finish the day unbeaten and feeling pretty pleased with themselves. Well done boys, we're all looking forward to what this season holds, the future looks bright. The U12’s would like to thank Moortown Group Ltd for their recent sponsorship.

Saturday 12th April saw the season start for our Under 10s with journey north to Cramlington Rockets, “to tunnel or not to tunnel” was the question discussed by parents on the sideline before kick off. Making their Crusaders debut were Otis and Seb made their Catterick Crusaders debut. Three games were on the fixtures list: Game 1 Catterick Crusaders v Cramlington Rockets. A great game where both sides were evenly matched. Defenses were strong and neither team were willing to allow the opposition through, however, Noah Button did stride through to open up the scoring for this season. Cramlington quickly made a break through to make their opening try of the season. Both teams continued to play well and some great tries were scored. Player of the match voted by Rockets went to Max. Game 2 Catterick Crusaders v Gateshead Storm Crusaders were caught napping at the start of this game and Storm were quick to score, before the boys were able to get stuck themselves in the game. Defence was the key to this game and the boys came together to stop Storm running forward at will. Player of the match voted by Storm went to Lochlan. Game 3 Catterick Crusaders v Yarm Wolves/Cramlington Rockets A great game to finish off the morning, the boys were switched on from the first whistle of the game. Team play on show, passing the ball, two and three in a tackle and getting back on side quickly. There was some great tried scored in this game and some brilliant tackling. Player of the match voted by Storm went to Otis. Players on Saturday were: Max, Otis, Seb, Noah B, Noah F, Lochlan, Austin, Neil & Oscar. Well Done boys, things are looking good for our 2025 season. Coaches player of the day went to Max. Parents player of the day went to Lochlan. “Well Done” to all players, a huge “thank you” to all parents for taking your superstars there and for Cramlington Rockets for hosting and arranging the best weather.

On Saturday, our Masters team took the 2 hour journey West to Barrow to take on Barrow Masters at the home of Roose Pioneers at Flass Lane. It’s always inadviseable to play on an empty stomach, so the first order of the day for Jase, Goady, Darren and Gaz was an early departure to ensure they gained sustenance at the Tebay truck stop! Very nice it was too! With a full bellies and Jase suffering from geographical over confidence they set off for Roose! Expect for Goady, he bizarrely used the instructions and postcode given, which took him straight to Roose Pioneers! The car containing Jase headed to Roose, where he had played against Roose RLFC as a kid! How dare they move some 20 years ago and not tell him!! As for the game …… a great game ensued. Both teams playing, flowing attacking Masters and displaying strong defence. Both sides should have had a couple more tries in the usual 0-0 draw, but they were either out foxed by solid defence or just couldn’t catch that last pass. All in all it made for a great game played in a fantastic spirit, brilliantly controlled by whistle blower Shaun McPoland. Ben Smith deservedly took Master of the Match. Jase cemented his place as Richard of the Day, with not 1 but 2 kicks that went out on the full! Post match Barrow Masters were excellent hosts and it was great to share a few beers and the craic with them. The breakfast crew, also turned into the sleepover crew, and stayed the night in Barrow taking in few beverage outlets (and a curry house - it’s the law!). Proudly wearing club stash, it was great to have plenty of well natured enquiries as to who we were. Crusaders Masters would like to thank your kit sponsors, Marston. We’d also like to thank our heritage polo sponsors Burties Hair Design, eCreative Designs, Top Third, iSecure Group and Lighthouse Risk Services. Massive thanks to our off field gear sponsors, The Hildyard Arms, Thirstywork, 4Aces, Richie McGrath Pre-Training and Breaking, JDN First Aid and AA First Water Coolers.

On Saturday (5th April), our Cubs section makes a long awaited return to Saturday mornings. Cubs will run from 10am - 10:30am for 2-4 year olds. Then 10:30am - 11am for 4-6 year olds. All sessions will take place at Robertson Rd. Coaching the sessions will be one of our newly qualified coaches, Katie Coburn. Cubs is non contact rugby based fun games for both boys and girls. If you’d like your little one to get involved please message the website or scan the QR code on the poster. The more the merrier!