In a dramatic turn of events, the North Wales Crusaders have been given the green light by the Rugby Football League (RFL) to resume their Championship season this Saturday, following a turbulent period that threatened the club's very survival.

The Colwyn Bay-based team was forced to cancel its last two matches after players walked out over unpaid wages, leaving the future of the 2025 League One champions hanging in the balance. The crisis began when the club's previous owners, The EggChaser Group, abruptly announced they would no longer fund the operation, despite the Crusaders' promotion to the new-look Championship.

But now, a phoenix has risen from the ashes. A new company, NW Rugby League 26 Ltd, has taken control and secured an interim licence from the RFL to complete the current 2026 campaign. That means the Crusaders will take the field this Saturday against Goole Vikings—though they'll be doing so with an entirely new squad, built from scratch in a matter of days.

"The context of the season has changed now," said Conrad Anderson, a dedicated club volunteer who has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the dream alive. "Obviously a new board has been assembled, it's been rectified, and a new company has been set up. That will give us the best chance to go again in 2027. We've got to be upbeat—at the end of the day, the club has been through the wars."

The Crusaders' rollercoaster ride began in December 2024, when Bobby Watkins and his son Arun—a Zambia rugby union sevens international—took over the club. Spirits were high after the team clinched the League One title and secured their place in the Championship, with Watkins even speaking publicly about Super League ambitions. But by April, the Surrey-based EggChaser Group pulled the plug, citing an inability to "fund the additional costs to run the club with immediate effect."

Players, who had gone months without pay, saw their contracts declared null and void and promptly departed. The club was forced to forfeit an 1895 Cup tie against Midlands Hurricanes and cancel a league fixture away to Doncaster, leaving fans fearing the worst.

"I just think the previous owners have lived beyond their means," Anderson explained at a fans' forum in Wrexham. "It became very obvious to them that they couldn't fill the pictures."

Now, with a new chapter beginning, the Crusaders are ready to fight on. For fans and players alike, Saturday's match represents more than just a game—it's a testament to the resilience of a club that refuses to be counted out.