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]

Limassol Crusaders
Full nameLimassol Crusaders Rugby Football Club
Nickname(s)Crusaders
Founded2003; 21 years ago (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

History

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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

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League

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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

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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

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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 Kiev 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

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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

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

Internationally capped former players

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  •   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

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  • 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

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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

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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

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  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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