Crusaders deal clinched
Crusaders came out of administration on Friday after the owners finally completed the re-purchase of the Engage Super League club.
Chairman Ian Roberts and co-owner Geoff Moss, who put the Wrexham-based club into administration on November 12 in an effort to rid it of the bulk of debt they inherited from previous owner Leighton Samuel, have paid an undisclosed amount to regain control.
Peter O'Hara and Simon Weir, the joint administrators who have now rescued no fewer than seven rugby league clubs in the past decade, issued a statement in which they said the deal was "not without its problems".
"Both Peter O'Hara and Simon Weir wish the club all the very best for the future and feel reasonably confident that the club will move forward on a sound financial footing and that the public of north Wales will support the club going forward," said the statement.
The new company will operate under the trading name of W Crusaders Limited.
The club, which was formerly called Celtic Crusaders, was re-admitted to the Rugby Football League earlier this month after the owners met the requirements of the governing body, although they will kick off the new season on minus four points after breaching insolvency rules.
Crusaders' newly-appointed chief executive Rod Findlay said: "It is a huge relief to come out of administration and now everyone can look forward to the upcoming season. Crusaders RL has now been given a clean slate and a lot of hard work has been ongoing behind the scenes to bring stability to the club.
"It has been an extremely tough few weeks for everyone involved with the club and there is still a lot of work that needs to be done off the field. We would like to thank our tremendous fans, whose support and loyalty has been unwavering despite the recent uncertainty.
"They have shown that there is a tremendous appetite for rugby league in Wales and have stuck by the club through thick and thin.
"Everyone is really excited about the new season. We have some interesting commercial prospects off the field and the club hopes to announce some further positive news in the near future."
