The Crusaders Rugby Club is pleased to announce that it has raised our target of $193,000 for our field water project which will enable the club to irrigate all our fields. The club has now started the project and aims to be complete in time for the summer of 2024.

Many thanks to our generous donors: Alan Kouba, Stuart Riley, Brian Timmons, Chris and Fiona Tudor Price, Jeffrey Feeney, Brad Simone, Nigel D’Acre, Matt Carter, David Hayes, Joseph Flaherty, Rob Gare, Abed Ibrahim, Stephen Foote, Richard Schooling, Bill Lewis, David Dufour, Jan De Marez Oyens, Tom Kewell, Gavin Alpe, Gerry Kelly, Ashley Misquitta, Peter Saddington, Stephen Gittens, Jason Ince, Michael Stefnitz, Richard Topping, Martin Shaw, Aaron Mimnagh, Stephen Saunders, Johnathan Corker, Petra Haneberry, Brendan Samson, Helen Hayes, Ali Macdougall, Barbara Lockhart, Jonathan and Candace Carroll, Geoffrey Collett, Chris Hatch, Keith McIntyre, Matt Duffin, David Mastell, Jason Boggs, Rikki and Geraldine Wright, Robert Montanino, John and Vanessa Lucic, Sanad Ibrahim, Josh Ince, Julie Bennitt, Erin and Kevin Brenders, Kathleen and Neil Jones, Lindsey Williams, Kylie Evans, Bill Scollon, Ian Tolley, Owen Mason, Alistair Clark, David Howse, Mike Newell, Mark Fleet, Geoff Seymour, Julia Moynihan, Bruce Harding, and Brian Gore. Your kind support and generosity is sincerely appreciated.

Many special thanks to our MPP, Stephen Crawford for his support of this project and to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for their $150,000 grant to support us. Also thanks to Chris Mark of the Town of Oakville, Tim Skrins of Halton Region, Jane Clohecy of the Town of Oakville for their support and assistance. Thanks are also due to the board for their support of this endeavour and, in particular, David Walker for lending his engineering mind to planning and managing elements of it.

GO CRU!

Sincerely,
Chris Tudor Price
President

Crusaders Rugby Club has been awarded a $150,000 Capital grant by the Ontario Trillium Foundation to purchase field maintenance equipment. The club had identified the need to invest more in the club playing surfaces and in 2022 embarked upon a program to significantly improve the standard of the fields.

“Investing time and money in our fields has been well worth it. They’re in much better shape, much safer as playing surfaces and the equipment we’ve been able to purchase with the Trillium grant has been instrumental in helping us improve the surfaces”, said Phil Cartwright, Director of Facilities. The club has purchased a range of equipment including a new Ventrac diesel tractor with mower, power rake, fertilizer, top loader and aeravator/seeder attachments, as well as a new diesel Toro Workman UTV with roller, top dresser, sprayer and field groomer. “With this equipment, we can implement a top notch field maintenance program and provide our members with excellent quality, and far safer, fields.”

“Improving our facilities has been a key priority,” said Cartwright. “The club has consulted grounds management experts to help us construct a year-round field maintenance program, including aerating, fertilizing, seeding and improved watering – the fields have never looked better. As only the main pitch receives irrigation – and it’s trucked-in water mostly – the other fields need a lot more care to last through the season. This equipment and the more formal field maintenance program has allowed us to  ensure the fields are playable for longer – and a good deal more safe.”

“We are enormously grateful for the support of Stephen Crawford, our MPP and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.” said Chris Tudor Price, President. “It would frankly be impossible for the club to buy this kind of equipment without OTF’s support. Thanks also to the board of directors who have worked hard to ensure the club is eligible for this kind of support and funding – it’s been a 4 year project and a massive team effort to put us in this position.”

The club invested significantly in refitting the main field irrigation system in 2023 and intends to connect to municipal water services in 2024 that will allow it to provide irrigation to all the fields and further improve the playing surfaces.