This Sunday sees North Wales Crusaders welcome Betfred Championship outfit Swinton Lions to Stadiwm CSM in the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup. Ahead of the clash, we've taken a look at five talking points!
1) Croeso I Eirias Park
The off field struggles of 2023 have been well documented, with North Wales Crusaders only able to play at Stadiwm CSM on three occasions last year.
With a new season, we get to enjoy the new pitch and access to the Conwy Lounge, fanzone marquee and the hospitality suites.
This also marks Swinton's first visit to Eirias Park as previous encounters were held at Victoria Park in Warrington and Caldy Rugby Union Club.
Pre-season actually saw Betfred Championship side Wakefield Trinity host their pre-season camp here in North Wales and train on the Eirias Park pitch.
2) Jack Houghton
We welcome back Jack Houghton to Parc Eirias on Sunday, but this time in a Swinton Lions shirt.
Houghton joined North Wales Crusaders in 2017, making a total of 108 appearances, making his 100th appearance for North Wales Crusaders away league fixture at Oldham last season.
In total he scored 23 tries during his time in North Wales, and we wish him well playing for Swinton in the Championship in 2024.
3) 1895 Cup Debut
North Wales Crusaders make history on Sunday as we compete in rugby league's revamped cup competition.
The AB Sundecks 1895 Cup is a competition for Championship and League One clubs, and made its debut to the rugby league calendar in 2019.
Four different teams have won this competition with Sheffield Eagles (2019), Featherstone Rovers (2021), Leigh Centurions (2022) and Halifax Panthers (2023) lifting the trophy at Wembley Stadium.
4) Walian Banshee
Opening the afternoon on Sunday will be local band, Walian Banshee, who play in the fanzone from 12pm.
Walian Banshee are husband and wife duo, Mark and Trina, from Colwyn Bay, in North Wales.
In 2020, Mark, a luthier, built Trina a bass guitar so they could jam together during lockdown.
They enjoyed it so much that they carried on jamming, covering their favourite artists from a range spanning 50 years.
Walian Banshee play at a variety of events, from funerals to festivals, but mostly pubs!
For booking enquiries, please visit https://walianbanshee.co.uk/
5) New Faces
North Wales Crusaders head coach Carl Forster has put a big emphasis on recruiting for the 2024 season, mixing experience with vibrant raw talent, its safe to say Carl is assembling an exciting squad.
Ben Evans is a noticeable addition having played for Toulouse, Bradford Bulls and Barrow Raiders and is also a proud Welsh international.
All in all, Carl Forster has added 11 new faces including frenchman Levy Nzougou.
Tickets for North Wales Crusaders V Swinton Lions can be purchased by clicking HERE.