Limassol Crusaders
Full nameLimassol Crusaders Rugby Football Club
Nickname(s)Crusaders
Founded2003 (2003)
LocationLimassol, Cyprus
Ground(s)AEK Achileas Stadium (Capacity: 2,000)
ChairmanArtemis Papageorgiou
PresidentNicholas Mastoroudes
Coach(es)Rick Wadmore
Captain(s)Constantinos Constantinides
League(s)Cyprus Rugby Federation League
Official website
limassolcrusadersrfc.com

The Limassol Crusaders are an independent rugby union club based in Limassol, Cyprus. They were the 2nd independent rugby club to be formed in Cyprus, after the Paphos Tigers. They were established in late 2003.[1]

History

The club was formed, and initial membership recruited, by word of mouth after the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Temporary training facilities were used initially, including a spell at the Elias Beach Resort Hotel, until the club finally leased the AEK Achileas Stadium in 2004, with the club joining the Joint Services Rugby Football Union and competing formally starting with the 2004/05 season. When the Cyprus Rugby Federation formed its own league, Limassol Crusaders joined it.

When, in 2006, Cyprus formed a national squad, five Crusaders were members of the team that won their inaugural game against Greece.[2]

In 2013, the Crusaders moved to a new stadium in the Mesa Geitonia area of Limassol. The new stadium has a higher capacity, better drainage and conforms better to IRB safety regulations. In 2016, the club moved back to the historical stadium next to Katholiki Technical School after closing the contract with the previous venue.

Results

League

Season League Final Position
2004/05JSRFU League6th
2005/06JSRFU League6th
2006/07JSRFU League6th
2007/08JSRFU League5th
2008/09JSRFU League6th
2009/10JSRFU League3rd
2010/11JSRFU League5th
2011/12CRF League4th
2012/13CRF League5th
2013/14CRF League3rd
2014/15CRF League3rd
2015/16CRF League3rd
2016/17CRF League2nd
2017/18CRF League3rd
2018/19CRF LeagueUnfinished

Tournaments

Year Tournament Final Position
2009Aya Nik 15s4th
2010Aya Nik 15s3rd
2011Aya Nik 15s3rd
2012Aya Nik 15s3rd
2013Cyprus Beach Rugby[3]Runner-up
2013Aya Nik 15s5th
2015Warsaw Rugby FestivalCup Winner

Tours

Year Team Location Result Year Team Location Result
2006Maastricht University NetherlandsLimassol Techniki School CyprusWon2015Honey Badgers IrelandPolandWarsaw - AWF a PolandDrawn
2009Beit Jala Lions State of PalestineLimassol Techniki School CyprusWon2015Old Actonians EnglandWarsaw - AWF a PolandLost
2009Cairo Rugby EgyptCairo EgyptWon2015Cani Sciolti ItalyWarsaw - AWF a PolandLost
2012Warwick University EnglandLimassol Techniki School CyprusLost2015Abbeyfeale IrelandWarsaw - AWF a PolandLost
2013Leigh RFC EnglandLimassol Techniki School CyprusWon2015Warsaw Frogs (White) PolandWarsaw - AWF a PolandWon
2013URAG ItalyRome Campo Tre Fontane ItalyWon2015Aberdeen Grammar ScotlandWarsaw - AWF a PolandWon
2013Rugby Roma ItalyRome Campo Tre Fontane ItalyLost2015Camberley Rugby Vets EnglandLimassol Techniki School CyprusWon
2013The World The BahamasLimassol - Mesa Geitonia CyprusWon2016Cirencester RFC EnglandLimassol Techniki School CyprusLost
2014HMS Diamond United KingdomLimassol - Mesa Geitonia CyprusWon2016Brussels Celtic Barbarians BelgiumVUBBelgiumLost
2014Courbet FranceLimassol - Mesa Geitonia CyprusWon2017Arlechinii Bucuresti RomaniaStadionul Florea DumitracheRomaniaLost
2015Les Zozos FranceWarsaw - AWF a PolandWon2018Kiev Rebels UkraineSpartak StadiumUkraineLost
2018Jamhour Black Lions LebanonLimassol Techniki School CyprusLost

a Match played in the 2015 Warsaw Rugby Festival.

Current squad

2015/16 Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union
Michael Quain Hooker England England
Gregoire Pilorge Hooker France France
Artemis Papageorgiou Hooker Cyprus Cyprus
Antonio Fiorillo Prop Italy Italy
Ilie Lucian Prop Romania Romania
Lee Gilmour Prop England England
Fraser Nelson Lock Scotland Scotland
Andrew Spring Lock Cyprus Cyprus
Panayiotis Jacovides Lock Cyprus Cyprus
Scott Lennox Lock Cyprus Cyprus
Neofytos Christou Lock Cyprus Cyprus
Dan McFarlane Flanker Cyprus Cyprus
Laurent Rabiega Flanker France France
Constantinos Constantinides Number 8 Cyprus Cyprus
Player Position Union
Jonathan Davies Scrum-half Wales Wales
Conor O'Driscoll Fly-half Ireland Ireland
Solomone Tuipulotu Centre Cyprus Cyprus
Alexi Toufexis Centre Switzerland Switzerland
Marc-antoine Fallet Centre France France
Patrice Malraux Wing Cameroon Cameroon
George Savvides Wing Cyprus Cyprus
Reginald Sherekete Centre Zimbabwe Zimbabwe

Internationally capped players

  • Cyprus Andrew Spring
  • Cyprus Panayiotis Jacovides
  • Cyprus Scott Lennox
  • Cyprus Dan McFarlane
  • Cyprus Constantinos Constantinides
  • Cyprus Artemis Papageorgiou
  • Cyprus Solomone Tuipulotu

Internationally capped former players

  • Cyprus Marco Mladenovic
  • Cyprus Fidias Efthimiou
  • Cyprus Kiki Vatikiotis
  • Cyprus Dimitri Maratheftis
  • Cyprus George Stylianou
  • Cyprus Dervis Devren
  • Cyprus Nathan Pring
  • Cyprus Greg Loucaides
  • Cyprus Chris Christofi
  • Cyprus Kostas Christou
  • Cyprus Peter Hunter
  • Cyprus Panayiotis Loizides
  • Cyprus Will Booth
  • Cyprus Stevie Awah
  • Cyprus Andy Webster


Captains

  • 2004/05 Cyprus Zeno Nicolaou
  • 2005/06 Cyprus Zeno Nicolaou
  • 2006/07 England Chris Snaith
  • 2007/08 Cyprus Andrew Spring
  • 2008/09 Wales Darryl Davies
  • 2009/10 Cyprus Greg Loucaides
  • 2010/11 Cyprus Andrew Spring - Cyprus Marko Mladenovic
  • 2011/12 Scotland Fraser Nelson
  • 2012/13 Scotland Fraser Nelson
  • 2013/14 Cyprus Constantinos Constantinides
  • 2014/15 Cyprus Constantinos Constantinides
  • 2015/16 Cyprus Constantinos Constantinides
  • 2016/17 Cyprus Constantinos Constantinides
  • 2017/18 Cyprus Constantinos Constantinides
  • 2018/19 Cyprus Constantinos Constantinides

Youth rugby

As well as the senior team, the Crusaders also encourage youth rugby. The Crusader Colts is open to boys and girls aged 13 and older[4] and the Minicru is open to children aged 6 and older.[5]

Veterans rugby

In November 2016 the Limassol Crusaders for the first time fulfil a Veterans squad as opposition for the Camberley Rugby Vets on tour in Cyprus. The team has been unofficially called "the Commandarias".

References

  1. "Limassol Crusaders". Limassol Crusaders Website.
  2. "Limassol Crusaders". Limassol Crusaders Website.
  3. "CRF Beach 2013". CRF.
  4. "Crusaders Colts". Crusaders Colts Website. Archived from the original on 2010-03-29.
  5. "MiniCrusaders". MiniCrusaders Website. Archived from the original on 2010-02-21. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
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