Limassol Crusaders

Rugby team

Limassol Crusaders

Full name| Limassol Crusaders Rugby Football Club
Nickname(s)| Crusaders
Founded| 2003; 22 years ago (2003)
Location| Limassol, Cyprus
Ground(s)| AEK Achileas Stadium (Capacity: 2,000)
Chairman| Artemis Papageorgiou
President| Nicholas 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

[edit]

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

[edit]

### League

[edit]

Season  | League  | Final Position

|
|

2004/05 | JSRFU League | 6th
2005/06 | JSRFU League | 6th
2006/07 | JSRFU League | 6th
2007/08 | JSRFU League | 5th
2008/09 | JSRFU League | 6th
2009/10 | JSRFU League | 3rd
2010/11 | JSRFU League | 5th
2011/12 | CRF League | 4th
2012/13 | CRF League | 5th
2013/14 | CRF League | 3rd
2014/15 | CRF League | 3rd
2015/16 | CRF League | 3rd
2016/17 | CRF League | 2nd
2017/18 | CRF League | 3rd
2018/19 | CRF League | Unfinished

### Tournaments

[edit]

Year  | Tournament  | Final Position

|
|

2009 | Aya Nik 15s | 4th
2010 | Aya Nik 15s | 3rd
2011 | Aya Nik 15s | 3rd
2012 | Aya Nik 15s | 3rd
2013 | Cyprus Beach Rugby[3] | Runner-up
2013 | Aya Nik 15s | 5th
2015 | Warsaw Rugby Festival | Cup Winner

### Tours

[edit]

Year  | Team  | Location  | Result  |  | Year  | Team  | Location  | Result

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

2006 | Maastricht University | Limassol Techniki School  | Won |  | 2015 | Honey Badgers  | Warsaw - AWF a | Drawn
2009 | Beit Jala Lions | Limassol Techniki School  | Won |  | 2015 | Old Actonians [1] | Warsaw - AWF a | Lost
2009 | Cairo Rugby  | Cairo  | Won |  | 2015 | Cani Sciolti [2] | Warsaw - AWF a | Lost
2012 | Warwick University | Limassol Techniki School  | Lost |  | 2015 | Abbeyfeale | Warsaw - AWF a | Lost
2013 | Leigh RFC [3] | Limassol Techniki School  | Won |  | 2015 | Warsaw Frogs (White)[4] | Warsaw - AWF a | Won
2013 | URAG  | Rome Campo Tre Fontane  | Won |  | 2015 | Aberdeen Grammar | Warsaw - AWF a | Won
2013 | Rugby Roma | Rome Campo Tre Fontane  | Lost |  | 2015 | Camberley Rugby Vets [5] | Limassol Techniki School  | Won
2013 | The World | Limassol - Mesa Geitonia  | Won |  | 2016 | Cirencester RFC [6] | Limassol Techniki School  | Lost
2014 | HMS Diamond | Limassol - Mesa Geitonia  | Won |  | 2016 | Brussels Celtic Barbarians [7] | VUB | Lost
2014 | Courbet | Limassol - Mesa Geitonia  | Won |  | 2017 | Arlechinii Bucuresti [8] | Stadionul Florea Dumitrache | Lost
2015 | Les Zozos [9] | Warsaw - AWF a | Won |  | 2018 | Kyiv Rebels [10] | Spartak Stadium | Lost
|  |  |  |  | 2018 | Jamhour Black Lions [11] | Limassol Techniki School  | Lost

a Match played in the 2015 Warsaw Rugby Festival.

## Current squad

[edit]

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
Gregoire Pilorge | Hooker |  France
Artemis Papageorgiou | Hooker |  Cyprus
Antonio Fiorillo | Prop |  Italy
Ilie Lucian | Prop |  Romania
Lee Gilmour | Prop |  England
Fraser Nelson | Lock |  Scotland
Andrew Spring | Lock |  Cyprus
Panayiotis Jacovides | Lock |  Cyprus
Scott Lennox | Lock |  Cyprus
Neofytos Christou | Lock |  Cyprus
Dan McFarlane | Flanker |  Cyprus
Laurent Rabiega | Flanker |  France
Constantinos Constantinides | Number 8 |  Cyprus
| Player  | Position  | Union

|
|

Jonathan Davies | Scrum-half |  Wales
Conor O'Driscoll | Fly-half |  Ireland
Solomone Tuipulotu | Centre |  Cyprus
Alexi Toufexis | Centre |  Switzerland
Marc-antoine Fallet | Centre |  France
Patrice Malraux | Wing |  Cameroon
George Savvides | Wing |  Cyprus
Reginald Sherekete | Centre |  Zimbabwe

### Internationally capped players

[edit]

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

### Internationally capped former players

[edit]

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

### Captains

[edit]

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

## Youth rugby

[edit]

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

[edit]

In November 2016 the Limassol Crusaders for the first time fulfil a Veterans squad as opposition for the Camberley Rugby Vets [12] on tour in Cyprus. The team has been unofficially called "the Commandarias".

## References

[edit]

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.

## External links

[edit]

* Limassol Crusaders RFC
* Cyprus Rugby Federation