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.
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.
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
Tournaments
Tours
a Match played in the 2015 Warsaw Rugby Festival.
Current squad
2015/16
Internationally capped players
Andrew Spring
Panayiotis Jacovides
Scott Lennox
Dan McFarlane
Constantinos Constantinides
Artemis Papageorgiou
Solomone Tuipulotu
Internationally capped former players
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
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
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 and the Minicru is open to children aged 6 and older.
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".