Crusaders will start next season on minus four points in Super League after being given the green light to carry on by the Rugby Football League.

The troubled Welsh club may come out of administration on Monday but the RFL have still imposed a points deduction for breaching insolvency rules.

A Crusaders statement said this "brings an end to weeks of uncertainty."

Crusaders' future had been in doubt when they went into administration with debts thought to be around £1.25m.

They then had a winding-up order dismissed in London's High Court on 17 November.

But the majority of Crusaders' debts were inherited from their time in south Wales before the new club relocated to Wrexham a year ago under new ownership.

Owners Geoff Moss and Ian Roberts have been locked in talks with appointed administrators O'Hara and Co for weeks in a bid to stabilise the situation at the Racecourse Ground.

The financial negotiations are thought to have been about the amount of debt that the current owners were prepared to take on.

But, following a meeting at their Red Hall headquarters in Leeds on Friday, the RFL formally accepted them into Super League XV, which starts on 13 February against Salford City Reds at the Millennium Stadium.

A conclusion to the administration process is imminent and now we can focus on the future Crusaders chief executive Rod Findlay

New Crusaders chief executive Rod Findlay added: "This is the news everyone has been waiting for.

"Everyone involved in the club can now look forward to the future after what has been a difficult and challenging few weeks for everyone involved in the club.

"We are disappointed to start the season on minus-four points but we believe Iestyn Harris and his squad can turn that into a positive and hit the ground running next season.

"There is a tremendous appetite for rugby league here in North Wales and we can now look towards the future.

"A conclusion to the administration process is imminent and now we can focus on the future and make sure the club secures its Super League status for many years to come."

Crusaders now have the platform to build on 2010 when, following the distraction of similar winter upheaval off the park, coach Brian Noble transformed the club, taking them from the bottom of Super League to the play-offs.

"There is still a lot of hard work to be done off the field," said Roberts. "But we believe this now gives the club a fresh start and we can concentrate on what we hope will be another fantastic year here at the Racecourse Ground."

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