North Wales Crusaders meet players and staff after move to Colwyn Bay

North Wales Crusaders, which competes in Betfred League 1, the third tier of European rugby league, paid a visit to fans and new sponsors in Conwy.

The Wrexham club confirmed in April that it will play its home matches at the 5,500-seat ZipWorld following concerns over Covid-19 restrictions at its former ground Queensway Stadium.

Teammates Pat Ah Van and Tyme Dow-Nikau were joined by chief executive Andy Moulsdale, club president Richard Greenwood, and director Shaun Gould during the visit which included stops at The Park, which will be the go-to pub for Crusaders fans in Colwyn Bay, Turkish barbers Golden Scissors for a trim, French polishers Valentine Wood and Sons and Willy’s Walkers, which offers a range of dog walking, minding and grooming services.

The players and staff then went to Conwy to the historic castle and picturesque seafront and town, before enjoying an Indian meal at Venue @ The Clock House.

“We’ve been overwhelmed with the response we’ve had locally since our move," said Moulsdale.

“Within a month or so of making the announcement, numerous businesses have sponsored the club and we can’t thank them all enough for the interest they’ve shown so far.

“Having such a large family of partners – both old and new – is a fantastic place for the club to be in.

“The players and coaching staff have also been extremely impressed with Colwyn Bay, the surrounding areas and facilities available at Stadiwm ZipWorld.

“It’s fantastic to hold an event like this where the lads can enjoy a day out and make the most of the beautiful scenery on the North Wales coast.

“We can’t wait to welcome our fans to Stadiwm ZipWorld in the near future to cheer on the lads as we know you’ll all love the gameday experience.”

Crusaders signed a deal with Conwy County Borough Council to play at the Stadiwm ZipWorld in 2021. They had moved to the Queensway Stadium permanently since 2017 after leaving the Racecourse Stadium due to costs.