August Club of the Month 2022

Winning Every Body Moves Club of the Month in March 2020 was a huge achievement for North Wales Crusaders Wheelchair Rugby League & Disability Sports Club - but their second award for August 2022 is an even bigger testament of their outstanding work. 

The Queensferry club were first recognised by Every Body Moves for their high-octane sessions - open to all ages and abilities - just before the COVID pandemic threw their regular practices into disarray.

Their second honour recognises their hard work during the pandemic moving their sessions online before returning to their weekly in-person sessions at Deeside Leisure Centre every Friday 6-8pm.

Championing inclusion since its inception in 2013, the Crusaders were born of a collaboration between Wales Rugby League and Disability Sport Wales. 

Stephen Jones, not only the club chairman but a coach and regular participant on the court of play, admitted his shock at receiving the gong for a second time whilst also remarking on the extraordinary togetherness within the team. 

He said: “I don't know what it is, people keep saying to us, 'oh, you've won this award, you won that award.'

"And every time I keep saying, ‘what are we doing that makes us so special?’ I can’t understand why we’re winning them.

“But at the end of the day, I think it’s the philosophy we've got - we're not a club anymore, we're more of a family.

“Yes, we are dysfunctional, like most families are, but we look after each other and at the end of the day, that's the reason I fight tooth and nail every year to make sure this club is still going because it gives people an opportunity to play this great sport of rugby league." 

Back in 2020, Crusaders were one of the first clubs to be recognised by Every Body Moves for their inclusive approach. 

Jones, who initially joined the Queensferry club as a player, revealed how the team were able to continue their provision amidst the challenging COVID period.  

As well as explaining the platform the award was able to provide, adding: “We had great plans [in 2020] of how we were going to use the award as a springboard. 

“Unfortunately, COVID came along and shot us down.

“But thanks to the investment we were able to get, partially because we were recognized by Every Body Moves, we were able to buy some decent quality video equipment.

“We paid for some online training with Zoom and other providers, and we were able to run virtually.

“It was almost anticlimactic to come back to training because we were having so much fun," he joked. 

“That's what Every Body Moves helped us do, it helped us attract investments. 

“Other companies would look at us and think ‘well if [Every Body Moves] thinks you’re doing something right we’ll give you some money to help you keep doing it.’

One of their players, John Doyle, holds the remarkable record of being the oldest person to score a rugby league try at the ripe old age of 66. 

Now 68, Doyle echoed Jones’ assessment, extolling the Crusaders' emphasis on broad participation. 

He said: “It’s the fact that it's open to anyone of any age - I'm playing with people who are four times younger than me. 

“It's a bit like a medicine that we take once a week, it cures your ills and makes you feel better.”