Today's (somewhat shocking) announcement of Crusaders withdrawal from Super League won't have surprised those from the M62 corridor who predicted that expanding the top-flight game outside of their "heartland" would be unviable. There'll be plenty of "I told you so's" , though I hope there isn't any schadenfreude.
Crusaders' story sums up the wider Welsh one to a certain extent: impatience, administrative incompetence, not getting the basics right, knee-jerk reactions, glorious failure (last season) and parochialism. Yet somehow they kept going against all odds.
It'll be small comfort to the players and backroom staff who could be losing their jobs, but they've done themselves, the fans and Wales proud. Not necessarily in their results, especially this season, but in the dignified way they've come through some huge challenges through no fault of their own.
We don't yet know if Crusaders will drop into the Championship or Championship 1, joining the Neath-based South Wales Scorpions. What we shouldn't let this do, however, is undermine the good work that's been done in developing rugby league in Wales.
The Welsh national side will compete in the "Four Nations" later this year for the first time. Successful amateur rugby league teams are springing up all over the country - including the likes of the Bridgend Blue Bulls and the CPC Bears based in Carmarthen. Also, Wales' amateur national side - the Welsh Dragonhearts - have a shot at winning the Conference Home Nations.
"Bottom-up" development and getting people playing and interested in the sport, is perhaps a far better long-term approach to building RL in Wales than a token Welsh club being parachuted into Super League with a team of Australasian ringers.
I hope the Welsh Conference, and the proposed North Wales League, can grow organically while the Crusaders can continue in some form. The 3-year stint in Super League should be looked back upon as a valuable learning experience, with clear standards set for future aspiring Welsh Super League clubs to attain - both on and off the pitch.
This latest failure of top-flight rugby league in Wales shouldn't become an excuse to wallow in self-pity, or some sense of injustice, that sets Welsh rugby league back decades.
Crusaders' story sums up the wider Welsh one to a certain extent: impatience, administrative incompetence, not getting the basics right, knee-jerk reactions, glorious failure (last season) and parochialism. Yet somehow they kept going against all odds.
It'll be small comfort to the players and backroom staff who could be losing their jobs, but they've done themselves, the fans and Wales proud. Not necessarily in their results, especially this season, but in the dignified way they've come through some huge challenges through no fault of their own.
We don't yet know if Crusaders will drop into the Championship or Championship 1, joining the Neath-based South Wales Scorpions. What we shouldn't let this do, however, is undermine the good work that's been done in developing rugby league in Wales.
The Welsh national side will compete in the "Four Nations" later this year for the first time. Successful amateur rugby league teams are springing up all over the country - including the likes of the Bridgend Blue Bulls and the CPC Bears based in Carmarthen. Also, Wales' amateur national side - the Welsh Dragonhearts - have a shot at winning the Conference Home Nations.
"Bottom-up" development and getting people playing and interested in the sport, is perhaps a far better long-term approach to building RL in Wales than a token Welsh club being parachuted into Super League with a team of Australasian ringers.
I hope the Welsh Conference, and the proposed North Wales League, can grow organically while the Crusaders can continue in some form. The 3-year stint in Super League should be looked back upon as a valuable learning experience, with clear standards set for future aspiring Welsh Super League clubs to attain - both on and off the pitch.
This latest failure of top-flight rugby league in Wales shouldn't become an excuse to wallow in self-pity, or some sense of injustice, that sets Welsh rugby league back decades.
