Nickname: Crusaders
Ground: Shaftesbury Park (2,250 – 250 seated)
This season: 12th (P13 W3 D0 L10 TB8 LB3 Pts 23)
Last season: 10th (P26 W9 D1 L16 TB17 LB1 Pts 56)
Previous games Vs. Rams:
Rams 73-24 Dings Crusaders (September, 2026)
Rams 26-17 Dings Crusaders (January, 2025)
Dings Crusaders 36-44 Rams (September, 2024)
Dings Crusaders 19-48 Rams (March, 2019)
Rams 33-15 Dings Crusaders (November, 2018)
Recent Form:
Dings halted a five-match losing run with an emphatic 41-24 home success against Leicester Lions last time out.
Prior to that they pushed in-form Bishop’s Stortford hard in a 33-26 reverse, the Bristolians previously going down to Clifton (35-24), Leeds Tykes (26-17), Sale FC (58-12) and Sedgley Park (29-22).
Yet in Round Seven they produced arguably the result of the season, stunning table-toppers Rotherham Titans 50-31 with an incredible home performance.
That result came off the back of defeats to fellow promotion hopefuls Plymouth Albion (64-17) and Blackheath (36-31).
Dings recorded their first win of the season with an impressive 34-21 success at Birmingham Moseley in Week Four, their opening three games ending in defeat to current top-half sides Tonbridge Juddians (34-21), Rams (73-24) and Rosslyn Park (45-10).
Players to Watch:
Sam Cantwell – Hooker is second top try-scorer for Dings with eight so far this term, including a hat-trick at Sedgley Park and a double at Leicester Lions last weekend.
The Australian joined Crusaders from Royal Wootton Bassett in the summer, though featured for Cornish Pirates in the Premiership Rugby Cup last term.
Raff Weston – Former Bath Academy and Beechen Cliff fly-half is on loan from Bristol Bears while completing his studies at University of Bath.
Played for England Under 18s and has 31 points in five appearances for Dings so far (one try, 13 conversions).
Harry Rowson – In-form former Loughborough University wing has nine tries in 12 National One outings this term, including the opener at Old Bath Road back in September.
Played 12 Premiership Cup games for Bristol before joining Crusaders in the summer.
