Professional rugby league in Wales is on the verge of extinction as Championship side North Wales Crusaders try to find a way out of serious financial struggles.
Born out of the ashes of Super League’s Celtic Crusaders in 2011, North Wales joined the second-tier Championship after winning League One in 2025.
But last week The i Paper revealed that more than 50 people say they are owed money by the club’s owners, and money troubles that have been bubbling under the surface for the last 18 months have now boiled over, with players and staff left unpaid and Crusaders in more than £100,000 of debt.
Since West Wales Raiders folded in 2022, Crusaders have been playing as the only Welsh representative left in the Rugby Football League (RFL) pyramid.
The sport has been played in Wales since the early 20th century, and the principality’s greatest ever player Clive Sullivan captained Great Britain to Rugby League World Cup victory in 1972. Under their own flag Wales finished third in the World Championship three years later. But the demise first of the Super League team, then Raiders, and now possibly North Wales Crusaders would signal the end of that line.
Players already leaving
North Wales’ players and staff have still not been paid this month after the club failed to meet its payroll two weeks ago. Egg Chaser, the company that owns the Crusaders and is run by Bobby and Arun Watkins, has not responded to requests for comment.
Several North Wales players have already departed and signed with with other clubs, after effectively becoming free agents because they haven’t been paid in weeks, leaving the debt-ridden club with a threadbare squad.
There is some hope though. Former North Wales owner Jamie Elkaleh is part of a consortium looking to regain control of the club and stop it from going under, although it is likely it would still have to go into administration first.
Sources at North Wales Crusaders say the club’s debts are more than £100,000 (Photo: Getty)Elkaleh, who handed the Crusaders over to Egg Chaser back in December 2024, says he has a business plan ready to go.
“I want to take the club back and give the fans what they deserve – rugby league in North Wales,” Elkaleh said.
“Everything needs to go back to basics.”
Last week Elkaleh posted on Facebook: “Time to speak. Frankly, I gave the club (for free) to this pair. The RFL introduced them to me and said they had huge plans, resource and would push the club forward – of course I stepped aside.
“Now to see this, is absolutely appalling!… I’m considering the next steps and legal advice. It’s true, last week the players played because I and two others paid them directly to play.
“This won’t happen again. I will do whatever I can to save rugby league in North Wales.”
Forward Brad England played in that game and was left with a horrendous injury, temporarily blinded in his right eye and forced to take time off his day job because of it.
Forward Brad England was injured playing in a game where the club did not pay him (Photo: Facebook/Brad England)An RFL spokesperson told The i Paper: “The RFL’s Strategic Review has highlighted the need for a salary cap in the Championship to help prevent clubs from overspending, something which is close to being finalised. We will continue to work with North Wales Crusaders to help and support them in any way possible.”
Valuation of club is holding up sale to save it
Elkaleh’s consortium is not the only one looking to save North Wales, according to sources.Another group of three local businessmen based in Wrexham is also prepared to invest in the club to keep it running. However, it is believed Arun and Bobby Watkins are only prepared to sell the club if they receive £100,000 for it.
The i Paper understands North Wales is more than £100,000 in debt, with money owed to various creditors.
It is believed the club may have to first go into administration, and then be relaunched, for anything left of the Crusaders to continue.
Already three RFL clubs – Salford Red Devils, Featherstone Rovers and Halifax Panthers – have gone bust since December.
‘The owners are a joke’
Meanwhile, more concerns have been raised about Bobby and Arun Watkins, their control of North Wales, and their financial management.
One individual, who spoke to The i Paper on the condition of anonymity, said: “All volunteers at the club have now quit. They now have no matchday operational staff, kit men or anything. A number of physios have left due to unpaid wages.”
Crusaders had to cancel their last home game due to unpaid wages (Photo: Getty)A player, who declined to be named, described the owners as “a joke”.
“Families of players have purchased Crusaders merchandise from the club last year and this year and still haven’t received anything, even though they have taken the money. There’s been no reply from the club when asked where their merchandise is,” he said.
According to several sources, North Wales allegedly ran a reserve team last year where players had to pay to be involved.
“They made players find ‘mandatory’ sponsorship of £250, which was required to be part of the pathway,” one player, who was part of the team, said.
“There was then absolutely none of the list of things promised actually delivered. When some of the lads who had paid for extra kit as well didn’t receive it, Egg Chaser tried to remove them from the programme.”
‘The end of the professional game in Wales’
One reserve player notified the RFL about the issue but claims he has received no help.
“Unfortunately, they were no help at all, saying they didn’t want to get involved in personal issues that didn’t involve rugby league,” he said.
“At the time, I told them that this was a massive waving red flag that if they didn’t address it would end in bad news, as it has now. I’d have serious concerns that the RFL are positioned to protect the fans/players/sponsors that want to get involved in rugby league, and that is the RFL’s responsibility.
“Egg Chaser have cost the sport a fanbase, sponsorship money and player pathways. If North Wales go under, it marks the end of the professional game in Wales.
“Whilst I appreciate the RFL don’t need to get involved with my refund or anyone else’s, they should have addressed these worrying signs far sooner.”
At this point, many rugby league fans are asking: why does this keep happening, and when does this mess end?
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