| Teamname: | Limassol Crusaders |
| Fullname: | Limassol Crusaders Rugby Football Club |
| Nickname: | Crusaders |
| Countryflag: | Cyprus |
| Ground: | AEK Achileas Stadium |
| Capacity: | 2,000 |
| President: | Nicholas Mastoroudes |
| Chairman: | Artemis Papageorgiou |
| Coach: | Rick Wadmore |
| Captain: | Constantinos Constantinides |
| League: | Cyprus Rugby Federation League |
| Url: | http://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]
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.
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Year | Team | Location | Result | Year | Team | Location | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Limassol Techniki School  | Won | 2015 | Honey Badgers   | Warsaw - AWF a | Drawn | |||
| 2009 | Limassol Techniki School | Won | 2015 | Old Actonians http://www.oldactoniansrfc.com/ | Warsaw - AWF a | Lost | |||
| 2009 | Cairo Rugby  | Cairo | Won | 2015 | Cani Sciolti http://www.mastinirugby.it/  | Warsaw - AWF a | Lost | ||
| 2012 | Limassol Techniki School | Lost | 2015 | Abbeyfeale | Warsaw - AWF a | Lost | |||
| 2013 | Leigh RFC http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/leighrfc/ | Limassol Techniki School | Won | 2015 | Warsaw Frogs (White)http://www.warsawfrogs.com/ | Warsaw - AWF a | Won | ||
| 2013 | URAG | Rome Campo Tre Fontane | Won | 2015 | Warsaw - AWF a | Won | |||
| 2013 | Rugby Roma | Rome Campo Tre Fontane | Lost | 2015 | Camberley Rugby Vets http://www.camberleyrugbyclub.co.uk/ | Limassol Techniki School | Won | ||
| 2013 | The World  | Limassol - Mesa Geitonia | Won | 2016 | Cirencester RFC http://www.crfc.co.uk/ | Limassol Techniki School | Lost | ||
| 2014 | HMS Diamond  | Limassol - Mesa Geitonia | Won | 2016 | Brussels Celtic Barbarians http://bbrfc-celtic.be  | VUB | Lost | ||
| 2014 | Courbet  | Limassol - Mesa Geitonia | Won | 2017 | Arlechinii Bucuresti http://www.arlechinii.ro/ | Stadionul Florea Dumitrache | Lost | ||
| 2015 | Les Zozos http://roc-hc.fr/equipes/les-zozos/ | Warsaw - AWF a | Won | 2018 | Kiev Rebels https://www.facebook.com/RebelsKyiv/  | Spartak Stadium | Lost | ||
| 2018 | Jamhour Black Lions https://www.facebook.com/Jamhour-Black-Lions-Rugby-Union-Club-233511210151579/  | Limassol Techniki School | Lost |
a Match played in the 2015 Warsaw Rugby Festival.
2015/16
Andrew Spring Panayiotis Jacovides Scott Lennox Dan McFarlane Constantinos Constantinides Artemis Papageorgiou Solomone Tuipulotu 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 Zeno Nicolaou Zeno Nicolaou Andrew Spring Greg Loucaides Andrew Spring - Marko Mladenovic Constantinos Constantinides Constantinos Constantinides Constantinos Constantinides Constantinos Constantinides Constantinos Constantinides Constantinos ConstantinidesAs 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]
In November 2016 the Limassol Crusaders for the first time fulfil a Veterans squad as opposition for the Camberley Rugby Vets http://www.camberleyrugbyclub.co.uk/ on tour in Cyprus. The team has been unofficially called "the Commandarias".