Super League new boys Celtic Crusaders' plans for a 15,000-capacity stadium in Bridgend have been submitted to the local council.

The Crusaders' planned new ground on a former prisoner of war camp at Island Farm would include bars, corporate hospitality and conference suites.

The proposal is on the site where the Welsh Rugby Union suffered a failed attempt to build a £10m rugby academy.

That plan was abandoned by the council after assembly government approval.

The Bridgend-based league side have enjoyed a dramatic rise since their inception in 2005, culminating in winning a Super League franchise for next year's campaign.

The Crusaders are the first Welsh side to enter the new extended Super League and join France-based outfit Catalans Dragons, who will be entering their fourth season in the premier rugby league tournament in the northern hemisphere.

606: DEBATE Do the Celtic Crusaders need a new stadium to compete?

The Crusaders won a three-year Super League licence but currently play at the Brewery Field, the home of Bridgend's rugby union team.

The new stadium plans are viewed by the Crusaders as crucial for securing income streams to remain competitive in the top-flight.

Celtic Crusaders' chief executive David Thompson said: "The Crusaders are now playing at the elite level in the UK.

"We are committed to providing our fans with a new state-of-the-art stadium and facilities worthy of the borough, the club and Super League.

"Having won a Super League licence for three years, people may have expected the club to sit back.

"But we are continuously striving to push the club forward and looking to improve wherever we can as evidenced by this application."

The new stadium is at the centre of the proposed £40m 130-acre Island Farm Sporting Village, which would include a rugby union pitch for Bridgend Ravens, a football pitch for Bridgend Town, an indoor tennis centre, a boxing gym and several training and community pitches.

"We are delighted at the prospect of having our new Crusaders stadium as part of the development and helping deliver something truly special within Wales," said Thompson.

"As we have seen elsewhere, the development of a new stadium can be difficult and at times drawn-out.

"However, we have now taken the first formal step and I am confident that HD Limited and its partners will be able to drive this project forward.

"It remains a very exciting time for the Crusaders and Bridgend."

But the plan may face opposition - the WRU's previous application for a rugby academy caused protests.

The £10m state-of-the-art academy and plans to build 210 homes were approved by the Welsh assembly govenment but Bridgend council's cabinet then said it would not proceed with the plans.

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