Canterbury Crusaders (speedway)

the New Zealand rugby union team formerly known as the Canterbury Crusaders
British motorcycle speedway team

The Canterbury Crusaders were a motorcycle speedway team who operated from the Kingsmead Stadium, Kingsmead Road, Canterbury from 1968 to 1987. For all of their 20 year existence, the Crusaders operated at the second level of British league speedway, in British League Division Two and the National League.

Canterbury were founder members of British League Division Two in 1968. The first meeting at Kingsmead, on 18 May 1968, saw the Crusaders narrowly lose a British League Division Two fixture 38–39 to Belle Vue Colts. The Colts and the Crusaders had contested the first ever Division Two fixture ten days previously at Belle Vue on 8 May, when the Colts won 55–23. In their inaugural season the team won the Knockout Cup, defeating Reading Racers in the final. In just their third season in 1970, the Crusaders' won their first league title. New Zealander Graeme Smith, Barry Thomas and Barry Crowson scored heavily throughout the season, as the team won the league by two points clear of Eastbourne Eagles. In 1977, the promoters Johnnie Hoskins and Wally Mawdsley had to go to court in order to keep the Kingsmead track open after complaints of noise from local residents. The following year during the 1978 National League season, the Crusaders managed to win a second championship. Although finishing equal on 60 points with Newcastle Diamonds, they won by virtue of the fact that their race points difference was greater than their rival. The Crusaders scoring was led by Les Rumsey and Riders' Champion Steve Koppe. The 1981 season brought an individual title for Zimbabwean Mike Ferreira and a pairs championship success for Ferreira and his countrymate Denzil Kent. In 1986, Wally Mawdsley retired and the lease was taken over by Chris Galvin (father of Andy Galvin). Galvin would allow the Canterbury riders to practice on his Iwade training track but unfortunately the team was forced to disband on 31 October 1987, when the Canterbury Council refused to renew the Kingsmead Stadium lease. The final Crusaders fixture took place at Kingsmead on 31 October 1987, when Canterbury defeated Rye House Rockets 49–29 in the second leg of the Kent/Herts Trophy.