The Celtic Crusaders are the Super League's newest team and have benefited from the new licensing rules, which will guarantee status in the top division until 2011.

The Crusaders rose from the ashes of the former rugby union side in the South Wales area known as the Celtic Warriors, being an amalgamation of Pontypridd RFC and Bridgend RFC.

Bridgend owner Leighton Samuel bought Pontypridd to form the Warriors, but then sold his stake in the club to the Welsh Rugby Union and in the summer of 2004 they decided to liquidate the club.

In 2005, though, Samuel decided to create a new team which he claimed would be the resurrection of the old Warriors side - the only difference being he wanted them to be a rugby league side rather than a union team. The aim was simple - to reach the Super League.

In their early days as a rugby league side the Warriors recruited many of their playing staff from Welsh Conference teams Aberavon Fighting Irish and Bridgend Blue Bulls.

In their first season in National League Two they finished a creditable third, just missing out on promotion, but they made no mistake in 2007 by topping the division and gaining automatic promotion to National League One.

However, once promotion and relegation between the National League and the Super League were scrapped and the Crusaders were awarded their top-flight licence, they altered their recruitment policy to sign players with more experience.

That paid off when they finished second in National League One and in July 2008 they were awarded a Super League licence for the 2009-11 seasons.