This coming Monday, June 2 at 7:00 PM, Crusaders Park will play host to a special international fixture as the Crusaders Senior Men welcome Nantymoel RFC on their 125th Anniversary Tour to Canada, a proud and storied club hailing from the heart of South Wales.

Touring sides don’t come more classic than Nantymoel—a club with deep roots, a rich rugby tradition, and a reputation for playing hard on the field and singing even harder off it. Known for their physicality, grit, and love of the game, the men from the Valleys are making Oakville one of their key stops on a Canadian tour that promises to blend competition, camaraderie, and maybe a few confused explanations of what exactly a “Welsh cake” is.

The Crusaders, fresh off a strong start to their season, are excited to test themselves against international opposition. With a mix of experienced campaigners and young local talent, the home side will be looking to hold the line and defend the honour of Canadian rugby—with a little flair, a lot of contact, and hopefully, all 15 players still standing at full-time.

This isn’t just another match—it’s a rugby celebration. Expect:

  • High-quality rugby from two passionate sides
  • A great crowd and community atmosphere
  • Post-match socializing that will include full-throated but questionable Valleys singing and stories that grow more heroic by the pint

Match Details:

  • Crusaders Park, Oakville
  • Monday, June 2
  • Kickoff: 7:00 PM
  • Admission: Free

Whether you’re a longtime Crusader, a curious local, or someone with a vague ancestral connection to Wales and a fondness for rugby and a pint —this is the match to watch.

Come on out and enjoy an evening of top-class rugby and international goodwill (with just the right amount of friendly-ish rivalry). See you at the Park!

Saturday May 24 is the Cru’s Senior Home Opener day featuring our three senior men’s teams and our senior women. We also welcome back our alumni to enjoy some great rugby and our recently facelifted club on our annual Alumni Day.

Our Senior Men compete in the highly competitive and “new” format Marshall Premiership Division featuring the 8 strongest men’s clubs in Ontario: Oakville Crusaders, Balmy Beach, Brantford Harlequins, Burlington Centaurs, Waterloo County, Aurora Barbarians, Oshawa Vikings and the Toronto Scottish. After one round in which our men’s teams played the Aurora Barbarians and came away with three wins, Cru is positioned at the joint top of the 1st XV table, at the top of the 2nd XV table and at the top of 3rd XV table – but that may be fleeting with some very tough opposition ahead in the coming rounds. This week the men take on Waterloo County who have been historically very strong and have taken some recent victories at Crusaders Park. Josh Allan, our new senior men’s coach for 2025, and his coaching team of Andy Gale and Liam Bowman have Waterloo in their sites. See the Marshall League tables & fixtures here: https://www.rugbyontario.com/competitions/

The Cru Senior Women compete in the Niagara Rugby Union (NRU) Premiership against the Stoney Creek Camels, Niagara Wasps, Hamilton Hornets, Grimsby (ahem) “Gentlemen”, Bruce County and the Fergus Highlanders. Under their new Aussie coach, Cooper Smith, the women are keen to make a strong opening impression against Grimsby in front of a supportive home crowd on Saturday. The NRU Premiership tables and fixtures are also available on the Rugby Ontario site here: https://www.rugbyontario.com/competitions/ 

Kick-off times:

  • Crusaders Women XV vs Grimsby: 11:00am
  • Crusaders Men 3rd XV vs Waterloo: 12:30pm
  • Crusaders Men 2nd XV vs Waterloo: 2pm
  • Crusaders Men 1s XV vs Waterloo: 3:30pm

Come and support the Cru! The bar will be open, our newly renovated clubhouse will be welcoming and there will be some great rugby.

Crusaders Park, 2214 Ninth Line, Oakville, Ontario. Admission Free!

The Crusaders Rugby Club is excited to launch a new version of our Touch Rugby League this summer on Tuesday nights. The 6-Down Touch Rugby league is a competitive league suitable for players of all abilities. This non-contact league is open to players aged 16 and up, and is a great way to stay active, enjoy the summer evenings, and be part of the fabled and fun Crusaders community.

  • 12 weeks – June 3, 2025 through August 26, 2025
  • Tuesdays 8:00–10:00pm
  • 40 minutes-long, refereed games, with each team playing at least two games per night
  • Teams must have at least 6 players, and there must be at least 2 female players on the field at all times
  • 6-Down Touch Laws (International Touch)
    • Rolling substitutions are allowed
  • The first week will be a training/learning session to enable everyone to become comfortable with the Laws
  • Open to players 16 years and older
  • Registration includes a Crusaders Rugby Touch League t-shirt

Registration and Teams:

Not Sure? Try It on June 3!

Come out on June 3 at 8pm and meet us and see what a blast the league is! It’s financially and obligation free… Register for the “try it” evening here: https://clubshop.crusadersrugby.club/products/try-touch-league-registration

Community Atmosphere:

Tuesday nights at Crusaders will be buzzing—not just with touch rugby, but with other club activities, open training, and plenty of social energy. The bar will be open, making it a great opportunity to catch up with teammates and club members after your game.

What to Bring:

  • Cleats (soccer or rugby)
  • Comfortable athletic wear
  • Water bottle
  • A good attitude and a team-first mindset!

Questions?: Please reach out to Jevan Malan touch.league@crusadersrugby.ca

*Fees include a $12.50 Capital Fund Levy that all registered participants in the club are required to pay.

 

Support Your Crusaders Senior Men in the Marshall Premiership League

Support Your Crusaders Senior Men in the Marshall Premiership League

Support Your Crusaders Senior Men in the Marshall Premiership League

Come out and support our Senior Men’s teams home and away as they battle it out in the Top 8 Premiership division of the Marshall League, Ontario’s premier rugby league. The club is pitted against the strongest clubs in Ontario, including our rivals Burlington Centaurs, Brantford Harlequins, Oshawa Vikings, Waterloo County, the Toronto Scottish, the Aurora Barbarians and the Balmy Beach Club. The 2025 Marshall League Premiership delivers the most competitive and exciting rugby in the province – and our men need your support!

League Standings and Fixtures:

Marshall League Premiership 1st XV

Marshall League Premiership 2nd XV

Marshall League Premiership 3rd XV

Get ready to light up your night at our Victoria Day Fireworks on Sunday, May 18 (rain date of Monday, May 19 —fingers we don’t need it) from 4pm onwards. We’re kicking things off with Speakeasy, the LIVE BAND that’ll keep the vibes high before and after the fireworks.

As always, it’s not just about the fireworks, though — we’ve got a jumping castle for the kids (or adults who never grew up), glitter tattoos for anyone who wants to sparkle, and Curb Side Foods will be serving up eats. Of course, there’ll be popcorn, cotton candy, and the all-important mommy and daddy juice to wash it down.

Don’t be the one to rush home as soon as the fireworks end! Stick around for Speakeasy’s final set and let the good times roll long after the sky’s lit up.

Tickets are available in the Cru Clubshop — grab yours before they’re gone (and you’re left watching fireworks from your couch)!

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE NOW

The Crusaders Rugby Club will be holding our inaugural Summer Ball on Saturday, June 21, from 5 p.m. The proceeds from this event will be provided to the Crusaders Player Fund, a fund to provide financial support to players in need of financial assistance for their club dues. There is limited space and the organizers need to confirm attendee numbers on June 1 – so don’t wait to book your tickets!
Included:
  • Champagne and canapé reception.
  • Dinner and wine.
  • Live band and dancing!

And…

  • Live auction of donated items hosted by auctioneer and club alumni, Don Stewart. Bring your wallets and bid on: cruises, your own reserved Cru parking spot, signed Canada team merch, and so much more!
  • Countless Raffle prizes:  Spa days, sports memberships, Yoga or Pilates classes, gift bags from bakeries, bars, golf clubs. Lots of surprises!
Where: in a marquee on the Archery Field
Attire: semi-formal, formal or club blazers (if you have one!)
Who?: 19+, club members, parents, friends, non-members, and alumni
Come and join us for a fantastic evening of drinks, dinner and dancing for a good cause! Want to sit with friends? Seating preferences accepted on ticket purchase.  Tables of 10 available. Please send any questions to Summerball@crusadersrugby.ca Please let us know if you have items you can donate to the auction or if you are interested in sponsoring the event.
Thank you to our generous event sponsors:
Gold Sponsor:
  • Engelbrecht Associates

Silver Sponsor:

  • Florence Meats
Bronze Sponsors:
  • Oakville Athletic Academy
  • Co-Operators
  • Living Soulfully
  • OnePlumb Plumbing
  • Precision Blades
  • Tip Toe Music
  • Athletacare
  • The Petal Project
  • Destiny Copper
  • Hibberd Orthodontics

The Crusaders Rugby Club’s 2024 Annual General Meeting will be held at the Crusaders Rugby Club on Tuesday January 28, 2025 at 7:00pm.

Director’s Reports will be presented highlighting information on the past season, upcoming projects, and important events. All Club members are invited to attend.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF CRUSADERS RUGBY CLUB

NOTICE is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Members of the Crusaders Rugby Club (the “Corporation”) will be held on the 28th day of January 2025 at 7:00 pm for the following purposes:

  1. To receive the report from the Directors on the activities of the Club for the 2023/2024 year.
  2. To receive the audited financial statements of the Corporation for the financial year ended October 31st, 2024.
  3. To appoint the Auditors of the Corporation for the ensuing year.
  4. To appoint Directors of the Corporation including the following positions (incumbents listed in parentheses):
    1. President (Chris Tudor Price)
    2. Treasurer (Candace Carroll)
    3. Fundraising & Sponsorship (Craig Du Plessis replaced Jonnie Scrivo mid-term)
    4. Alumni Relations (Dave Mastel)
    5. Senior Men * (Kevin Brenders)
    6. Junior Boys * (Kevin Brenders)
    7. Minis (Gary Goetsch)
      * note these positions were previously combined
  5. To transact such other business as may properly be brought before the meeting.

If you wish to run for any of the above positions, please contact club secretary Pat Daniels at secretary@crusadersrugby.ca and advise your intentions. You are also able to signal your intentions during the meeting itself.

DATED the 30th day of December 2024.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD

Pat Daniels
Secretary, Crusaders Rugby Club

The club is pleased to announce that it has been awarded $120,400 Ontario Trillium Foundation funding to perform some much-needed clubhouse renovations during the winter of 2025. In 2024, the club upgraded its water system so that the clubhouse water is now drinkable/potable, connected our facilities to the municipal mains water supply to enable us to irrigate all our fields, and has performed extensive maintenance on the septic system which was having some challenges – and we’re continuing with additional upgrades in 2025.

The club will be undertaking a renovation of the interior of the clubhouse starting in December 2024, which will entail:

  • Reconfiguring the existing men’s toilets and shower are so that the shower area is accessible to both genders
  • Installing private, locking shower stalls to enable men/boys and women/girls to have access to showers in the clubhouse
  • Installing new floors upstairs in the clubhouse
  • Resurfacing the downstairs floors
  • Replacing all the upstairs clubhouse furniture, chairs and tables
  • Installing new cabinetry and sinks in the food preparation and bar area

We’d like to most sincerely thank The Ontario Trillium Foundation for its ongoing support of the club and we’d also like to thank Stephen Crawford, MPP, for his continued advocacy and support of our club.

If you were anywhere near Crusaders Rugby Club on Saturday morning, you’ll know the place was a complete Zoo! Though there were no elephants or giraffes in sight, much to the disappointment of our every increasing South African contingent, the grounds were awash with smaller animals, namely rugby players of all shapes and sizes… though most of the sizes were small and cute!

We hosted arguably the most successful mini’s tournament we’ve ever had, thanks to the organisation of several volunteers spearheaded by Gary Gotchies (inventor of underwear) and Chris Snyder (inventor of backhand remarks) plus many, many more. Over 517 players attended (actual number was 518, which I’m sure you’ll agree is over 517) from 14 different clubs. It was a day filled with excitement and camelriding… sorry, camaraderie (in the excitement of the day my notes are wild and I can’t read my own writing!)

Mixed teams from Under 6 (x8), Under 8 (x17), Under 10 (x21) and Under 12 (x20) competed for bragging rights and the right to nag their parents for an ice cream from our friends at Ontario Ice Cream or a face painting session courtesy of our friends at Kish & Makeup.

It wasn’t all fun and games though, as politicians and town officials muscled in on the action and mugged the camera for their publicity shots. Just kidding, we were thrilled that Pat Daniels (former Cru President) and Chris Tudor Price (current Cru President) were able to open proceedings with some inspiring words as they welcomed our distinguished dignitaries from the Town of Oakville and the Province (of Ontario in case you were wondering). These included Stephen Crawford, Oakville MPP, Sean O’Meara, Ward 1 Town and Regional Councillor, Janet Haslett-Theall, Ward 3 Town and Regional Councillor, Peter Longo, Ward 5 Town Councillor, and Natalia Lischyna, Ward 6 Town Councillor. Our guests were presented with their very own Cru jerseys although we have no expectation that they will be taking to the pitch any time soon.

So much great feedback and compliments about how amazing Crusaders Park and our facilities are!  A heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers whose hard work, both on the day and in preparation for the tournament, made this event possible. Our members can be incredibly proud!

Here’s to many more successful events!

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