Cluj Napoca Crusaders

Cluj Crusaders
Full name Club Sportiv Cluj Crusaders
Founded 2010
Coach Rafael Ruiz
League CNFA

Cluj Crusaders is an American football and Powerlifting team in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The first official American football and Powerlifting team, with legal status in Cluj-Napoca, founded in February 2010 by a group of American football fans. Crusaders are the 2012 and 2013 Romanian American football champions, also runner-up champions in 2010 and 2011 editions of the National American Football Championship of Romania.

History

Crusaders was founded in February 13, 2010, when they had the first training together as a team and the coach Rafael Ruiz met for the first time face to face with the team, finding only a group of individuals who did not know about football, but had a desire to learn and become an organized team.

The first months were difficult for the new team, not having a field where to train, usually renting small synthetic football fields and having new people in training, without equipment (shoulderpads, helmets and training equipment), but the team was lucky with the organizing of the coach who managed the team in difficult times.

The first training was hard, the players learning from scratch, but they found true joy of American football.

After a month and a half of training with the team, they experienced their first Scrimmage (non-Special Teams) in Bucharest against the Bucharest Predators in April 10, 2010, which they lost without scoring a point and being stopped at the 1 yard four times, the final score is still uncertain.

After two weeks, the Predators came to Cluj on April 24, 2010, to return the visit with a Scrimmage (Special teams, but no extra points or field goals due to the absence of posts). The match was played on the field of Baciu, Cluj and the score was Bucharest Predators 24-6 Cluj Crusaders, Crusaders scoring their first points on a blocked punt, the performance was much better team than the one in Bucharest showing a steady development.

In July 2010, Crusaders became an NGO association, Club Sportiv Cluj Crusaders was born. In the same month along with Warriors and Lions, began to organize the first National Football Championship (CNFA) being played in three stages, Timisoara, Cluj and Bucharest.

Crusaders played the first official match of the Romanian Championship against Timisoara Lions winning by a score of 42-0 and scoring the first touchdown of a National Championship with a kickoff return.

The team participated in the first RoBowl, the championship game was played against the Warriors in November 2010 and lost 51-12.

For Crusaders was a very important first year, starting form zero and all the way to the championship game in just nine months of intense training.

In early 2011, the Crusaders created a Powerlifting Team, improving as an organization and be on the way to becoming a real structured sports club.

The first Powerlifting contest was created and held in Cluj-Napoca with three weight categories giving medals to top 3 places and the best lifters. It also started to develop relations with the Romanian Federation of Powerlifting, assisting them in the Sub-Juniors National Championship 2011, where the coach Rafael Ruiz participated as a referee, having 12 years of experience as a Powerlifter and Referee.

On March 26, 2011, took place the first organized tryouts of the Cluj Crusaders to recruit new people, being a great success attracting people to know the sport and to join the team, going from a team of 19 people in 2010, to 34 registered players for the 2011 season.

Cluj Crusaders became the first team in Romania offering insurance to their players, maintaining a steady growth of the organization.

The team in an effort to promote more the sport, organized with Timisoara Lions a tournament that is expected to become tradition between these two cities, The Cupa de Vest. The first round of the tournament took place in Timisoara and the final took place in Cluj-Napoca, where the Crusaders claimed victory and the cup.

June 2011 marks a historic event for the team for American Football and Powerlifting Sports in Cluj-Napoca. The Club Sportiv Cluj Crusaders became officially a Sports Club, receiving recognition from the Ministry of Sport and their CIS (Certificate of Sports Identity). With this became the first organization involving American Football that has a CIS making organization to be ready for when the sport will be recognized. For Powerlifting in Cluj was also history, becoming the first organization dedicated to Powerlifting in the city and the first to join the Romanian Powerlifting Federation.

Cluj Crusaders participated in the National Powerlifting Championship held in Timisoara on 3–4 September 2011 with 2 lifters, Flroin Oltean and Norbert Gero, who became the first lifters from this city to compete officially in a National Championship. In this Championship, Were obtained 4 Gold medals. This event was a success in many aspects for Cluj Crusaders.

Due to the situation of American Football in Romania, the second edition of the Ro-Bowl took place as a cup, disputed once again between the Cluj Crusaders and Bucharest Warriors. In the first game at Bucharest, Crusaders lost 14-6. For the first time the Ro-Bowl final was going to be disputed in Cluj-Napoca, where the team was the first in Romania to have cheerleaders participating as part of the American Football experience in the country. In a tough game, Crusaders won the game 20-15 becoming the first Romanian team to defeat the Warriors.

Unfortunately, the difference in points made the Crusaders to lose the championship, but this only gave more motivation to prepare for next year and at the end the team accomplish one of the primary objectives of the 2011 season, arrive to the Ro-Bowl once again.

With the season end, Crusaders started to prepare and cooperate in the organization of the Bench Press National Championship celebrated in Alba Iulia on 26 and 27 of November 2011. Crusaders appeared in all the publicity offered by the Powerlifting Federation as partner along with important institutions and companies. In this championship were obtained gold and bronze medals in the 59 kg Junior category and 74 kg junior category, respectively.

To mark the end of 2011 and a year full of accomplishments and growth, the Club created the first edition of the Cluj Crusaders Awards, where the best players received awards for their performances throughout the year making the most important awards the "Crusader Award" given to the Most Valuable Player of the Year and the "Ironman Award" the player that attended to the most practices.

Club Sportiv Cluj Crusaders looks forward to 2012, already planning the next objectives and goals which will lead the team into becoming a more successful organization.

Romanian Championship of American Football

The first Romanian American Football Championship started in 2010.

The first round was held at Timişoara in 24–25 July 2010. Saturday, 24 July 2010 was the official press conference about the first national American football championship. After Cluj Crusaders played with the host team Timişoara Lions opening the first official game of the first official championship. Although both teams are founded in 2010, Crusaders had a little more experience, most from head-coach Rafael Ruiz and that was seen in the game.
Crusaders scored in the first play, on kickoff return for about 75 yards KR TD, where Florin Oltean "took it to the house", for 6 - 0 lead, having great blocking in front, Csaba Fulop #75 making a very good block. Florin Oltean #85 making history, being the first player to score in the first national championship, but he injured his collar bone at the end of the play, in the endzone. Florin also scored the 2-point conversion, being the holder for the extra point, not having time to put the ball to be kicked, he ran with it for 2 points, while having his collar bone fractured. The game ended 48 - 0 for Cluj Crusaders, but Timişoara Lions played a good game, missing some yards for a TD.
Points scored by:

Sunday, 25 July 2010, was the first round of flag games
First round flag football scores

The second round at Cluj-Napoca in 28–29 August 2010.
On 28 August 2010 was the second round of flag games:
Second round flag football scores
On 29 August 2010 two tackle games were held:
Bucharest Predators 50 - 0 Timişoara Lions
Cluj Crusaders 0 - 15 Bucharest Warriors
The game between Crusaders and Warriors had lot of action, both teams making big plays. Both teams playing their full potential, in the end Warriors experience made the difference. Crusaders almost had a TD, but Pop Radu #83 dropped a 25-yard pass in the endzone, several play later Crusaders FG attempt was blocked by Warriors DL.
Score Warriors 15 - 0 Crusaders.

The third round at Bucharest, Crusaders won 26 - 12 against Predators, this way they are going at the Romanian Bowl versus Warriors. Paul Cirja #7 scored 2 TD scramble and also passed 2 TD one to Florin Oltean #85 and one to Dan Crasnic #93.

The finals were held at Bucharest, on 21 November, flag championship was won by Scaieni Jaguars, second place Red Warriors, third Cluj Crusaders, fourth White Warriors. The tackle finals was won by Bucharest Warriors by 56 to 12, Crusaders being beaten on the running game. Crusaders touchdowns were scored by: Florin Oltean #85 on a kickoff return Dan Crasnic #93 long pass from Paul Cirja #7.

Standings

Romanian Championship of American Football 2010 Season
W L T PF PA STK
1 Bucharest Warriors 3 0 0 78 0 W3
2 Cluj Crusaders 2 1 0 74 27 W1
3 Timisoara Lions 0 3 0 0 98 L2
4 Bucharest Predators 1 2 0 62 87 L2

See also

External links

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