Big day for newly-formed North Wales Crusaders Women’s rugby league team is almost here

The big day has almost arrived – the first ever rugby league fixture for the new North Wales Crusaders Women’s team.

Eirias Park’s 4G pitch in Colwyn Bay will be the venue this Sunday, June 11, when the Crusaders face Heysham Atoms Women in a friendly, kick off 1 pm with admission a donation on the gate.

Since the Crusaders held their first training session on April 4, the squad has been steadily building up a head of steam under chief coach Becki Davies and her team.

And the pool of players on call contains some very interesting names from the world of football and rugby union.

Bangor University student, Australian speed merchant Stevie Donougher, is already well known in North Wales for her sporting ability.

She was part of the Bangor Uni rugby union team which lifted the BUCS Women’s Northern Conference Cup and Varsity Trophy in 2022-23, as well as finishing runners-up in the Northern 2A Division.

And Stevie was top scorer with 27 goals for the CPD Merched Bangor – Bangor Women FC side which won the North Wales Women’s League as invincible champions last season.

Eloise Kirby and Abi Cousins, the former the club captain and the latter team skipper, were also amazing success stories for the Uni rugby stars. Eloise also won the North West Wales Cup with Caernarfon.

Jasmin Dutton, Sioned Phillips and Becky Jarvis-Evans were all renowned members of the Llandudno women’s football team crowned tier 2 Genero Adran North champions in 2021-22.

Sioned has an illustrious rugby background, having played for Scarlets Under-18’s, RGC and Welsh Colleges, on top of her footballing stints with Llandudno, Llanberis and Bethel.

Jasmin is a former Wales women’s football international and Tranmere Rovers ace. Both she and Becky are tall, powerful runners and tremendous athletes who will no doubt adapt well to rugby league.

Becky Joyner, Bea O’Neill and Efa Williams have also been awesome performers for the Bangor Uni rugby side.

Efa, in particular, has stood out as a Players’ Player award winner in 2019-20 and team captain of the 2021-22 BUCS Northern 3A champions, the scrum-half scoring lots of tries and points that season.

Numerous other quality players are on offer to the Crusaders who will be hoping for a good crowd to cheer them on at Eirias this Sunday.

ADDITIONS

Erica Mullins and Mia Knight from Bangor have now been added to the above squad.

Here are the early fixtures arranged for the Crusaders over the coming weeks.