Crusaders RFC de Dings

Dings Crusaders RFC es un equipo inglés de rugby union con sede en el suburbio de Frenchay , Bristol , habiendo estado anteriormente ubicado en Lockleaze hasta 2018. El club descendió de la National Division Two South , el cuarto nivel del sistema inglés de rugby union en 2015 , a la South West Premier ^{[ 1 ].} El club actualmente juega en el tercer nivel del sistema inglés de rugby union , National League 1 , tras su ascenso como campeones de la National League 2 West 2023-24 .

El Dings es uno de los clubes más antiguos de Bristol, con raíces en un barrio marginal de la ciudad que se remontan a más de 110 años. El club es completamente amateur, a diferencia de la estructura semiprofesional de otros clubes. El lema "No jugamos por beneficio personal" es una frase conmovedora del himno del club, y al estar tan integrado en la comunidad de Lockleaze, no es raro encontrar jugadores que hoy en día pertenecen a la tercera generación de exjugadores del Dings.

The Dings was a slum area of Bristol located between Barton Hill and Temple Meads. The Shaftesbury Crusade, a Christian mission in the area, encouraged sporting activity in the Dings. In 1897, H W Rudge founded Dings Crusaders as part of the Dings Boys Club. Dings is one of only two remaining members of the original Bristol Combination set up in 1901, the other being Bristol Saracens. In 1948, Jack Steadman instigated a move to Dings current home in Lockleaze. Since league structure was introduced, Dings gained three promotions between 1996 and 2003 to enter the National League for the first time. The club finished in the relegation places at the end of the 2003–04 season, their first in National Division Three South, but were spared demotion by the demise of Wakefield. Since then, the club has consolidated its position within the league.

In 2014 it was announced that the club would be moving from the 1,500 capacity Lockleaze ground to Shaftesbury Park, which is based on Frenchay Park Road in Frenchay, South Gloucestershire.^[3] The new ground will be part of a £8 million sports facility with a main stand/club house, a gym and two court sports hall, eight changing rooms, two full size floodlight pitches including the main pitch which will have an 4G artificial surface, parking for up to 220 cars and multiple junior pitches.^[4] Capacity will include 250 seated and up to 2,000 standing, bring the total figure up to approximately 2,250.

On 17 February 2018 after 10 years in the making, Dings finally played their first game at Shaftesbury Park in front of a crowd of around 1,000, defeating Weston-super-Mare 34–26 in a South West Premier league game.^[5]

Dings Crusaders finished as National League 2 West champions at the end of the 2023–24 season, taking the title with a game to go.^[6] This win would also see Dings promoted to National League 1 - the highest level the club had reached in its league history.

• Bristol Combination Cup winners (7): 1973–74, 1985–86, 1990–91, 1994–95, 1995–96, 2010–11, 2014–15
• Gloucestershire 1 champions: 1989–90
• Gloucestershire/Somerset champions: 1993–94
• Western Counties champions: 1995–96
• South West Division 2 West champions: 2000–01
• South West Premier champions (2): 2002–03, 2017–18
• National League 2 West: 2023–24

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Presidente  : Raymond Bowden

Vicepresidente  : Phillip Knowles

Presidente  : Steve Lloyd

Secretario General  : Ian Haddrell

Tesorero  : James Luck

Secretario de Socios  : Rob Stevens

Entrenador principal  : Luke Arscott

Director de Rugby  : Stean Williams

Capitán del club  : George Boulton

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