Crusaders will start Super League XV on minus four points, after being given the go ahead to carry on by the Rugby Football League. The troubled Welsh club may come out of administration but the RFL have still imposed a points deduction for breaching insolvency rules.
Crusaders could have been wound-up when they went into administration with debts thought to be around £1.25m, but the order was dismissed in London’s High Court on 17 November. But the majority of Crusaders’ debts were inherited from their time in south Wales before the new club relocated to Wrexham a year ago under new ownership.
Following a meeting at their Red Hall headquarters in Leeds on Friday, the RFL formally accepted them into Super League XV, which starts on 13 February against Salford City Reds at the Millennium Stadium.
Crusaders chief executive Rod Findlay said: (quote) A conclusion to the administration process is imminent and now we can focus on the future. This is the news everyone has been waiting for, everyone involved in the club can now look forward to the future after what has been a difficult and challenging few weeks for everyone involved in the club.
We are disappointed to start the season on minus-four points but we believe Iestyn Harris and his squad can turn that into a positive and hit the ground running next season. There is a tremendous appetite for rugby league here in North Wales and we can now look towards the future. A conclusion to the administration process is imminent and now we can focus on the future and make sure the club secures its Super League status for many years to come. (end quote)