Women’s rugby league: coach Davies ‘full of pride’ after Crusaders’ debut win

North Wales Crusaders head coach Becki Davies says she’s “filled with pride” after her side won their first ever fixture, against Heysham Atoms.

Despite a nervy start, the team recovered from conceding an early try to earn a 28-18 victory in Colwyn Bay.

Davies’ are the first women’s rugby league side in north Wales after their creation in March, 2023.

“It’s not something you expect to do, we’ve only been together 10 weeks really,” said Davies.

“I’m assuming as a coach you don’t go into it thinking we’ll smash our first game, but yeah, over the moon!

“Going into the game there were nerves and you could tell, it was all a bit frantic at the start which led to Heysham Atoms getting the early try.

“That lit them up [Crusaders] a bit and they started to form as a team and the team at minute one versus the team in second half were completely different and we dominated the second half.”

The club has managed to attract 40 players across north Wales to training in St Asaph.

“I was surprised by the take up to be fair,” said Davies.

“We’ve got a lot of people who’ve come over from rugby union, netball, footballers, but they’re all doing awesome.

“We have people from Wrexham where I’m from, people from Anglesey, Bangor, Caernarfon way, so it does span across the whole of north Wales.

“There are areas we haven’t yet hit, probably more central areas we’d like to boost, but I’m sure that will come in time.”

Davies, 29, plays for Salford Red Devils in Super League 2 and is a Wales international.

She’s keen to ensure Crusaders are not just “a social side”.

“I’m fortunate enough to say that I’ve played at an elite level in my rugby league career so going into this I wanted to give them a bit of that.

“I didn’t want to come in and make a social team, I wanted to bring elements of the Super League team and give them that nutrition and recovery information and the strength and conditioning side of things.”

Davies is currently recovering from a knee injury for which she underwent surgery in January 2023.

She earned her level one coaching badge before taking up the sport herself.

Despite taking the Crusaders head coaching job, Davies admits it wasn’t always the plan for her.

“I’ll be honest, and I’ve said this to Nick Settle the head of the foundation, when this came up, I put my name down to help coach, help, volunteer whatever you need me to do, I didn’t want to be head coach.

“He rang me and said ‘we’d like to offer you first refusal because we think you’d be really suited to the role’.

“Initially it was going to be a 10-week programme.

“I thought, 10 weeks, I can do that, it’s fine and now it’s not – it’s all the way to August and I’m so glad I did it.

“The girls are amazing, the support from the community and the people you meet through rugby league, everyone is just banded together and I’m so glad I took it on.

“I’ve got girls texting me today saying ‘I’m still buzzing’.”

Crusaders have five more fixtures, with their next home game on Sunday, 25 June Oldham.

“The Oldham game is planned to a double header with the men’s so hopefully we can get a bit more home support there because having that moment where you come out as a team onto the pitch, and everyone is clapping you and saying ‘come on Cru’ – it really lifts spirits for the girls.

“I’d encourage anyone with an interest in rugby to come and give it a go.

“I literally can’t tell you how proud I am to have to have my name associated with the first ever women’s rugby league club in north Wales and to have a historic day like yesterday just fills me with pride.

“It’s an honour and to work so hard at something you’re so passionate about.

“For the girls who put their bodies on the line yesterday and made that historic day what it was, it doesn’t get better than that.”