They may have an unwanted place in rugby league history but the recent tale of North Wales Crusaders is one of survival.
A 134-0 thrashing by London Broncos marked the heaviest defeat in 131 years of top-two division rugby league, and it was the third time this season the club had conceded 100 points — another unwanted record.
Yet those crushing losses pale beside the crisis the club faced just weeks ago. North Wales Crusaders were "hours from extinction," and simply fielding a team was a remarkable feat.
Sean Long was on a family break at Center Parcs in spring when he got the call to help a club on the verge of folding.
"So I'm in Center Parcs and my phone starts going. We need a squad in three days. Where can we find them?"
The previous owners had pulled funding from the Colwyn Bay-based club, which had won the League One title just months earlier. Players hadn't been paid for weeks and left when their contracts were voided, forcing two games to be cancelled.
A group of supporters and volunteers formed a new company, NW Rugby League 26 Ltd, and secured an interim licence from the Rugby Football League (RFL). Long, head coach of the women's and development teams, had only days to assemble a squad for their match at Goole Vikings on 9 May.
"We spoke to a lot of good people, player representatives, and I've pulled some players from the amateur game. We got beat comfortably, but it really wasn't about that."
Crusaders lost 80-0 that day, but Long felt like a winner. "I've never come away from a game having lost by so many points but actually feeling like I'd won," he said. "One day I'll sit down and I'll probably write a little bit of a book about this craziness."
Chairman Jamie Elkaleh, who returned to the club after a previous stint as owner, echoed that sentiment. "The fans have had a crazy time in the last few months. There's horror stories when you talk about kit going missing, paying for things and not getting it. But frankly, not knowing whether they're going to have a rugby team to support."
Elkaleh admitted the club came within hours of permanent closure. "We had hours to make a decision — are we going to try and set this up as a new company? We took the chance and said yes, and thankfully, so far, it's paid off."
Hours from extinction
As punishment for financial failings, Crusaders were deducted 12 points. With a hastily assembled squad, their season was no longer about contention but survival. The RFL required a demonstration of financial viability for a 2027 licence. "Without that, there'll be no North Wales [Crusaders]," Elkaleh said.
"We wouldn't be here unless we thought and felt in our hearts that we believe there's a place for rugby league in north Wales. The professional game needs it. They don't just want it, they need it."
Crusaders' first home game under the new regime saw 900 fans attend their match against Salford — a club itself no stranger to financial troubles. Salford won 86-0, followed by the record loss to Broncos. But club officials and supporters are simply grateful for a future.
Long, now head of rugby after Mike Grady returned as head coach, said: "There's stuff that goes on when cameras aren't there, when eyes aren't there, and we're moving in the right direction. I've got a good group of people in that changing room at the minute that are really passionate to get better."
Elkaleh is confident of a brighter future but acknowledges work ahead. "The stage that we're at now is only possible because of volunteers and a group of people coming together. We're trying to rebuild the name of rugby league in Wales. It's a mess right now. We've got a lot of hard work to do."
Next up is a trip to Whitehaven, then a home game on 21 June against Halifax Panthers — a club that also teetered on the edge after going into liquidation in February over an unpaid tax bill. More heavy defeats may follow, but every weekend Crusaders compete is a little victory for rugby league in north Wales.