North Wales Crusaders will bring a 413-day wait for rugby league action to an end when they face Rochdale Hornets in a pre-season friendly at 3pm on Sunday, April 25.
With Crusaders getting their League 1 campaign underway with a trip to London Skolars on May 8, Anthony Murray’s men will come head-to-head with Rochdale in pre-season as the two sides prepare themselves for their long-awaited return to competitive action.
Given that League 1 was brought to a close early in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’ll be the first time Crusaders have taken to the field for 413 days.
North Wales boss Murray said: “Rochdale have recruited well and have some really experienced players so it’ll be a good test for us.
“Getting back out there, playing a game of rugby league and having some normality back is going to be great for us.
“I don’t really know what to expect as it’s been so long, but I want the lads to go out there and enjoy it.
“They’ve come back for pre-season in really good condition and bought into everything we’ve asked them to do since November.
“They’ve trained well, but that contact and fitness side of things in a game experience is so important.”
The match will take place behind-closed-doors and be streamed across Crusaders and Rochdale’s digital platforms.
