![WalesRugbyRegions](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/WalesRugbyRegions.png)
Dragons RFC ( cy, Dreigiau) are one of the four professional
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...
regional teams in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
. They are owned by the
Welsh Rugby Union and play their home games at
Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, South Wales, owned and operated by the Welsh Rugby Union. It is located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre. The ground is on Rodney Road, a short walk from the city's c ...
,
Newport and at other grounds around the region. They play in the
United Rugby Championship and the
European Rugby Champions Cup/
European Rugby Challenge Cup. The region they represent covers an area of southeast Wales including
Blaenau Gwent,
Caerphilly,
Monmouthshire, Newport and
Torfaen
Torfaen (; cy, Torfaen ) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. Torfaen is bordered by the county of Monmouthshire to the east, the city of Newport to the south, and the county boroughs of Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent to the south-w ...
with a total population approaching 600,000 and they are affiliated with a number of semi-professional and amateur clubs throughout the area, including
Pontypool RFC
Pontypool Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in the town of Pontypool, which plays in the WRU Championship (known as the SWALEC Championship for sponsorship purposes). Due to the regionalisation of Welsh rugby in 2003, Pontyp ...
,
Caerphilly RFC
Caerphilly Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team founded in 1887. Their home ground is Virginia Park in Caerphilly and their nickname is ''The Cheesemen''. Caerphilly RFC currently play in the WRU Division Two East Central and are a ...
,
Cross Keys RFC,
Ebbw Vale RFC and
Newport RFC.
Formed in 2003 as a result of the
introduction of regional rugby union teams in Wales Welsh regional rugby is the top tier of professional Welsh club rugby and is composed of the Scarlets, Ospreys, Cardiff Rugby and the Dragons which compete in the United Rugby Championship.
The regions were established for the start of the 2003/04 ...
, the team started life with a third-place finish in the 2003–04
Celtic League
The Celtic League is a pan-Celtic organisation, founded in 1961, that aims to promote modern Celtic identity and culture in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall and the Isle of Man – referred to as the Celtic nations; it places part ...
, and finished fourth the next season; however, the team finished in the bottom three in each of the next four seasons. In 2007, they reached the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup, losing to French side
ASM Clermont Auvergne 46–29. In 2011, they reached the semi-finals of the Anglo-Welsh Cup, losing to Gloucester. They are yet to make the knock-out stage of the
European Rugby Champions Cup.
History
Formation
The regional team were formed on 1 April 2003, following an agreement between
Ebbw Vale RFC and
Newport RFC to form one of five regional rugby entities. Fundamental disagreements between the clubs saw a period of arbitration, led by the then
Welsh Rugby Union chief executive
David Moffett
David Moffett (born 17 April 1947) is a businessman who has been the head of Sport England, New Zealand Rugby, Australia's National Rugby League, and the Welsh Rugby Union. Moffett has been involved in New Zealand politics, serving briefly on ...
, which recommended the name "Gwent Dragons". On 28 July the side was launched under that name. This prompted
Newport RFC benefactor Tony Brown of
Bisley, Surrey to withdraw his financial support for the region. However, by 21 August Brown returned after Ebbw Vale chairman Marcus Russell resigned and the side's name was changed to "Newport and Gwent Dragons".
With the Welsh Rugby Union demanding an explanation for the changes, and acrimony between the two clubs another agreement was struck: the side officially became 'Newport Gwent Dragons'. On 12 November 2003, the region's founding company Gwent Rugby Ltd entered into
administration. On 27 November a new company, Dragons Rugby Ltd., was established to run the region, with Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union each holding a 50% stake.
2003–2005: Infancy
Under
Mike Ruddock
Mike Ruddock, OBE (born 5 September 1959) is a Welsh rugby union coach who is currently an interim consultant for Ospreys, having previously coached Lansdowne FC . Ruddock was the Director of Rugby at the Worcester Warriors until his resignatio ...
and his assistant
Clive Griffiths Newport Gwent Dragons, with a squad largely drawn from the
Newport RFC and
Ebbw Vale RFC sides of the preceding year, beat their limited pre-season expectations. Despite starting their life in top-class rugby with a 35–11 defeat away to
Llanelli Scarlets, it was the region's most successful season so far. A 29–19 win over the
Ospreys was to prove more telling; captained by
Andy Marinos the side remained unbeaten at home in the Celtic League and eliminated
Stade Français in the
Heineken Cup. Going into the final round with an outside chance of taking the title, the Dragons finished third in the Celtic League
WRU bosses were impressed enough to appoint Ruddock to the vacant
Welsh coaching job in summer 2004. In 2005, Ruddock guided Wales to a Grand Slam Title in the Six Nations. Ruddock rewarded two of his former Dragons players,
Hal Luscombe
Haldane 'Hal' Naude Luscombe is a former Wales international rugby union player. His usual position was on the wing or in the centres.
The last team he played for was Worcester Warriors in the top level of English rugby, the Guinness Premiershi ...
and
Jason Forster, with their first test caps on Wales' summer tour of
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. Wales
Percy Montgomery
Percival Colin Montgomery OIS (born 15 March 1974) is a South African former professional rugby union player. When he ended his international career in August 2008, he held the all-time records for both caps and points for South Africa's nati ...
also impressed Springbok selectors enough to remind them of his international credentials, and earn a
Tri Nations recall.
The following off season saw a marked change in direction.
Gareth Cooper,
Kevin Morgan and
Ceri Sweeney were amongst a handful of players who joined the region when the
Celtic Warriors were disbanded. Having originally agreed to replace Mike Ruddock as head coach,
Declan Kidney
Declan Kidney (born 20 October 1959) is an Irish rugby union coach. He was the head coach of the Ireland national rugby union team from 2008 to 2013, where he won the 2009 Six Nations with a Grand Slam, winning the 2009 IRB Coach of the Year aw ...
decided instead to seek employment back home with
Leinster
Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of ...
. It was not until 27 July 2004 that former
Australia national rugby league team coach
Chris Anderson Chris Anderson may refer to:
Sports
* Chris Anderson (baseball) (born 1992), American baseball player
* Chris Anderson (cheese roller), 22-time winner of annual cheese rolling
* Chris Anderson (footballer, born 1925) (1925–1986), Scottish footb ...
was appointed, with Leigh Jones as his assistant. Another credible Celtic League campaign followed, finishing fourth,
the second highest Welsh region. The side's Heineken Cup could be viewed as a wasted opportunity: the team beat French side
Perpignan 27–14 at home, but were then beaten home and away by
Newcastle Falcons
Newcastle Falcons is a rugby union team that play in Premiership Rugby, England's highest division of rugby union.
The club was established in 1877 as the Gosforth Football Club. Around 1882 the club merged with the Northumberland Football Cl ...
to put paid to any quarter-final ambitions. Chris Anderson's contract was not extended beyond its initial one-year duration.
2005–2011 Paul Turner era
The region looked to
Harlequins backs coach
Paul Turner, a Welshman, as their new head coach. Turner would also have to contend with
Percy Montgomery
Percival Colin Montgomery OIS (born 15 March 1974) is a South African former professional rugby union player. When he ended his international career in August 2008, he held the all-time records for both caps and points for South Africa's nati ...
returning to South Africa and Newport RFC stalwart
Rod Snow
Rod Snow is a Canadian former professional rugby union prop.
Snow began his senior club rugby with the Newfoundland amateur club team Dogs RFC. He went on to play professionally in South Africa for Eastern Province in 1995, before joining Ne ...
retiring.
Munster and
Sale Sharks proved too strong in the
2005–06 Heineken Cup. After finishing 8th in the Celtic League, a 24–15 defeat
Overmach Parma in a play-off for a place in the following seasons Heineken cup proved a new low for the region. Anglo-Welsh Cup wins over
Leicester Tigers and
Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints (officially Northampton Rugby Football Club) is a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.
They were formed in 1880 as "Northampton St. James", ...
were the highlights of a tough season. Turner remained, but Wales international
Hal Luscombe
Haldane 'Hal' Naude Luscombe is a former Wales international rugby union player. His usual position was on the wing or in the centres.
The last team he played for was Worcester Warriors in the top level of English rugby, the Guinness Premiershi ...
opted for a move away from the region, joining English Premiership side Harlequins.
Former Wales captain
Colin Charvis
Colin Charvis (born 27 December 1972) is a former captain of the Wales national rugby union team and also played for the British & Irish Lions. A back row forward, Charvis was equally adept as a flanker or as the no. 8.
Charvis became the w ...
joined ahead of the 2006–07 season with the Dragons progressed into a
European Challenge Cup semi-final, where they lost comfortably to
ASM Clermont Auvergne. Domestically though, the region's European exploits appeared to take their toll, finishing ninth in the Celtic League. Significantly the region avoided the prospect of a second season away from the Heineken Cup, defeating another Italian side
Calvisano 22–15. The match also marked the end for departing Wales internationals
Ian Gough and
Gareth Cooper at Rodney Parade.
2007–08 proved to be another difficult season for the region. Signings such as scrum-half
Andy Williams and flanker
Richard Parks
Richard David Parks (born 14 August 1977) is a former Wales international rugby union player turned extreme endurance athlete and television presenter.
In rugby he represented Newport RFC, Pontypridd RFC, Celtic Warriors, Leeds Tykes, Perp ...
were not able to help reverse the side's fortunes. The Dragons
2007–08 Heineken Cup campaign only saw one win against Italian side
Treviso
Treviso ( , ; vec, Trevixo) is a city and '' comune'' in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 84,669 inhabitants (as of September 2017). Some 3,000 live within the Ven ...
and exiting the Anglo-Welsh Cup in the pool stages for a third year running. Between completing a double over
Llanelli Scarlets on 1 January to defeating the Ospreys on 6 May,
the Dragons failed to win a Celtic League game. Despite finishing as the lowest-placed Welsh side in the league the region qualified for next season's Heineken Cup, without having to play off against Italian opposition due to a failure by the Italian League to finish before a specified date.
The summer of 2008 marked a change in the Dragons recruitment policy to a more
antipodean focus. Several new signings included New Zealander Tom Willis who was also appointed captain. The 2008–09 Heineken Cup saw visible signs of encouragement for the region. An opening round defeat of Glasgow at Rodney Parade and two respectable defeats to French giants Toulouse, sandwiched between narrow losses against Bath offered hope of arresting decline at Rodney Parade. Domestically in the Celtic League it was a case of same old as consecutive defeats in rearranged matches away at Cardiff Blues and the Ospreys ended any hopes of avoiding finishing as the lowest placed Welsh region and another Heineken Cup play off against Italian opposition. In record appearance holder Adam Black's final game for the side, the Dragons ran out comfortable winners away to Calvisano to secure their place in European rugby's premier tournament for a third season running.
The 2009–10 season brought about significant improvements in results, with the Dragons remaining unbeaten at Rodney Parade in the Celtic League until their final home match, a 20–14 loss to Cardiff Blues. Defeat also brought about the end of the Dragons bid to qualify for the inaugural Celtic League playoffs. An improved seventh-place finish did, however, mean automatic qualification for the Heineken cup as the third highest finishing Welsh region. Despite coming close to defeating Gloucester away at Kingsholm and a win at home against Glasgow, back to back losses at Biarritz put paid to the Dragons chances of progressing past the group stages of the Heineken Cup for the first time.
2011–2017
Turner stepped down as head coach in February 2011 with
Darren Edwards taking over in a caretaker capacity. In March 2011 Edwards led the Dragons to their first Anglo-Welsh Cup semi-final, where they lost to Gloucester. In April 2011 Edwards was appointed Head Coach on a full-time basis.
Lyn Jones was appointed to the role of Director of Rugby in 2013 taking over a lot of on field responsibilities. He brought with him then
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
head coach
Kingsley Jones who worked with him as a consultant at
London Welsh
London Welsh Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Cymry Llundain) was a rugby union club formed in 1885. Based in Old Deer Park, Richmond-upon-Thames, London Welsh RFC played in the English Premiership in the 2012–13 and 2014–15 seaso ...
. Edwards left the Dragons in February 2014 while in June, Jones was promoted to the role of head coach.
During the 2014–2015 season, the Dragons reached the semi-finals of the
Challenge Cup, having defeated the Cardiff Blues 25-21. This was their second time reaching the semi-finals, having done so in 2007. They lost 45-16 to Edinburgh in the semi-final.
The following season, the Dragons once again reached the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup, but lost 22-12 to
Montpellier.
2017–Present: WRU Ownership
In March 2017, following a vote of
Newport RFC shareholders, the
Welsh Rugby Union agreed to take over the Newport Gwent Dragons in its entirety as part of a deal that also saw the WRU take ownership of the
Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, South Wales, owned and operated by the Welsh Rugby Union. It is located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre. The ground is on Rodney Road, a short walk from the city's c ...
ground. Following the takeover,
Bernard Jackman was appointed head coach, and on 20 June 2017 it was announced that following the takeover of the region by the WRU, the region would be dropping "Newport Gwent" from its name with immediate effect, becoming known simply as "Dragons". Jackman's endured a difficult first season in charge in 2017-18, with the Dragons recording only two wins in the league. Despite recruiting heavily for the 2018-19 campaign, including Wales forwards
Ross Moriarty
Ross Moriarty (born 18 April 1994) is an international rugby union player, who currently plays for Dragons RFC and Wales as a flanker.
Personal life
Moriarty was born in St Helens, Merseyside while his father, former Wales international Paul ...
and
Richard Hibbard, results did not improve and Jackman was dismissed in 2019 to be replaced by
Dean Ryan.
During the WRU-ownership period, the Dragons signed a large number of English-born players eligible for Wales thanks to parents or grandparents, such as
Ross Moriarty
Ross Moriarty (born 18 April 1994) is an international rugby union player, who currently plays for Dragons RFC and Wales as a flanker.
Personal life
Moriarty was born in St Helens, Merseyside while his father, former Wales international Paul ...
,
Will Talbot-Davies,
Tom Griffiths,
Huw Taylor,
Nick Tompkins
Nick Tompkins (born 16 February 1995) is a rugby union player who plays at centre for English Premiership club Saracens and the Wales national team.
Tompkins came through the academy at Saracens. Born in Sidcup, England, Tompkins qualifies fo ...
,
Joe Maksymiw,
Greg Bateman and
Will Rowlands.
Ahead of the 2022–2023 season, the Dragons continued their extensive recruitment drive, including established props
Rhodri Jones and
Rob Evans, as well as locks
Sean Lonsdale and
George Nott from the Premiership.
JJ Hanrahan joined from Clermont, while two centres; Welsh-qualified
Max Clark and New Zealander
Sio Tomkinson added further depth. Further signings were made in the lead up to season.
Team name
The naming of the region's team caused considerable turbulence. Newport Gwent Dragons were a new side created out of the restructuring of Welsh rugby, and represent their designated region, like the
Cardiff Blues, the
Scarlets
The Scarlets () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup (which ...
and the
Ospreys. Some in the Welsh rugby world, such as
Bobby Windsor, believed that including the name Newport would alienate some fans in the surrounding valleys. Many supporters in the wider Newport area favoured greater identification with the City of Newport and a continuation of the historic traditions of Newport RFC.
Several names were suggested but all were rejected by the WRU. In the end, the WRU decided the region would be called the Gwent Dragons. However, initial response to the new region was mixed, with many fans unsure whether to buy a season ticket for the new side or to stick to their local clubs. The company set up to run the side entered administration before a game had been played, and as a compromise the word "Newport" was added to the team name in a double-sized font, whilst "Gwent" was reduced. This addition and choice of kit added a greater Newport emphasis to the region and polarised the regions' fan base: some supporters of Ebbw Vale, Pontypool, Cross Keys and Newbridge turned their backs on the regional side, claiming that Gwent was no longer being equally represented. This debate continued, with the Dragons being accused of favouritism towards their Newport feeder club rather than the other feeder clubs.
The Newport Action Group, among others, claimed the side has lost more supporters by including the name "Gwent" in its title. The crowds supporting Newport Gwent Dragons averaged 5,154 for the 2005–06 season, whereas in the 2002–03 season, Newport RFC was Wales' best supported club and British rugby's fourth best with an average attendance of 8,302 – behind English Premiership clubs
Leicester,
Gloucester
Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
and
Northampton. In the 2006–07 season, attendance averaged 5,629 at Rodney Parade.
On the 27 June 2022, the Dragons announced their rebranding as Dragons RFC. The new playing colours being black and amber to represent the traditional colours of Newport sporting teams and the blue of the historic
Monmouthshire county. The new badge includes three
fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol.
The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...
derived from the county
Flag of Monmouthshire.
Kit
The Dragons kit for the 2022-2023 season is supplied by
VX3. Their current 'Headline Sponsor' is
Compeed.
Home ground
The region's ground is the 8,700 capacity
Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, South Wales, owned and operated by the Welsh Rugby Union. It is located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre. The ground is on Rodney Road, a short walk from the city's c ...
ground in Newport, where they play the majority of their home games. Games are occasionally hosted at other grounds in Gwent, such as
Pontypool Park or Pandy Park (home of
Cross Keys RFC). These are usually pre-season or other fixtures, however occasionally league games are taken elsewhere such as in 2017 when a game against local rivals
Cardiff Blues was hosted at the Constructaquote Stadium (formerly
Virginia Park), home of
Caerphilly RFC
Caerphilly Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team founded in 1887. Their home ground is Virginia Park in Caerphilly and their nickname is ''The Cheesemen''. Caerphilly RFC currently play in the WRU Division Two East Central and are a ...
, due to a fixture clash with
Newport County AFC;
[ ] and during the 2017/18 season when the Dragons hosted a
Pro14
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. The current name was adopted in 2021 when the league expanded to include four South Afr ...
game against
Edinburgh Rugby
Edinburgh Rugby (formerly Edinburgh Reivers, Edinburgh Gunners) is one of the two professional rugby union teams from Scotland. The club competes in the United Rugby Championship, along with the Glasgow Warriors, its oldest rival. Edinburgh pl ...
in
Eugene Cross Park
Eugene Cross Park is a rugby union, rugby and cricket ground in Ebbw Vale, Wales. In November 1919 the Ebbw Vale Welfare Association was formed and bought the "Bridgend Field". The of land became known as the Welfare Ground, and in 1973 its nam ...
, Ebbw Vale.
As a part of
Judgement Day
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...
, each season a home game against a rival Welsh rugby region is hosted at the
Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
In preparation for the 2014–15 season the Newport Gwent Dragons agreed a partnership with
Caerphilly County Borough Council
Caerphilly County Borough Council ( cy, Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili) is the governing body for Caerphilly County Borough, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The last full council elections took place 5 May 2022.
Political control
The ...
for the team and coaching staff to use the
CCB Centre for Sporting Excellence as the new training base for the 1st team and all other age grade structures within the region. The small stadium at the centre hosts the home matches of the Dragons U23 side, which competes in the
Celtic Cup.
Current United Rugby Championship table
Current squad
Senior academy
Notable players
Michael Owen captained
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
in 2005–06 and he led Wales to their first
Grand Slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
for 27-years in the
2005 Six Nations Championship
The 2005 Six Nations Championship was the sixth Six Nations Championship played since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy. Including the Home Nations and Five Nations Championships, this was the 111th season of the tournament.
Wales ...
.
Lewis Evans has made over 200 appearances for the Dragons.
Adam Black
Adam Black (20 February 178424 January 1874) was a Scottish publisher and politician. He founded the A & C Black publishing company, and published the 7th, 8th and 9th editions of the ''Encyclopædia Britannica''.
Life
Black was born in Ch ...
,
Jamie Ringer,
Peter Sidoli,
Gareth Wyatt,
Steve Jones,
Luke Charteris,
Wayne Evans,
Aled Brew
Aled Brew (born 9 August 1986) is a former Wales international rugby union player who played as a winger. He made his debut for the Wales national rugby union team against Ireland in the 2007 Six Nations Championship. In his career, as well a ...
,
Ashley Smith,
Adam Jones,
Hugh Gustafson,
Jason Tovey,
Robert Sidoli
Roberto Andrew "Rob" Sidoli (born 21 June 1979), also known as Robert Sidoli, is a former Welsh international rugby union player. He has won 42 caps for Wales as a lock forward.
Born in Merthyr Tydfil, he played for his school, Bishop Hedley H ...
,
Phil Price,
Adam Hughes
Adam Hughes (born May 5, 1967) is an American comics artist and illustrator best known to American comic book readers for his renderings of pinup-style female characters, and his cover work on titles such as ''Wonder Woman'' and ''Catwoman''. H ...
,
Nic Cudd
Nic Cudd (born 12 October 1988) is a rugby union flanker. He previously played for the Dragons, Llanelli RFC and the Scarlets.
Cudd joined the Scarlets Academy in 2004, when he was 16 years old. In the summer of 2010, Cudd signed a development ...
,
Rynard Landman,
Matthew Screech and
Brok Harris have made over one hundred Dragons appearances. Prop Adam Black became the first centurion in Dragons colours during the 2006–07 season.
Several former players have been capped by the
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team ( cy, Tîm rygbi'r undeb cenedlaethol Cymru) represents Wales in men's international rugby union. Its governing body, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), was established in 1881, the same year that Wales played the ...
while with the region; props
Chris Anthony and
Rhys M. Thomas, hookers
Steve Jones and
Lloyd Burns
Lloyd Burns (born 9 December 1984, Panteg) is a former Wales international rugby union player. Burns played in the hooker position and played his club rugby for Newport Gwent Dragons having made his debut in the 2008–09 season. He previously ...
, second rows
Ian Gough,
Luke Charteris,
Andrew Coombs and
Cory Hill, flankers
Jason Forster,
Richard Parks
Richard David Parks (born 14 August 1977) is a former Wales international rugby union player turned extreme endurance athlete and television presenter.
In rugby he represented Newport RFC, Pontypridd RFC, Celtic Warriors, Leeds Tykes, Perp ...
,
Jamie Ringer,
Gavin Thomas and
Dan Lydiate
Dan Lydiate (born 18 December 1987) is a Wales international rugby union player. A flanker, Lydiate was raised in Llandrindod Wells and is a product of the Newport Gwent Dragons academy.
Early life
The younger of two boys born to English dock ...
, number eight
Michael Owen
Michael James Owen (born 14 December 1979) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City, as well as for the England national team. Since r ...
,
Rhys Oakley
Rhys Oakley (born 16 September 1980 in Plymouth) is a former professional rugby union footballer who played as a number eight. Oakley began his professional career with Bristol Rugby, before moving to the Newport Gwent Dragons, Leeds Tykes, ...
and
Taulupe Faletau, scrum halves
Gareth Cooper and
Andy Williams, outside half
Ceri Sweeney, centres
Andy Marinos,
Tyler Morgan and
Nick Tompkins
Nick Tompkins (born 16 February 1995) is a rugby union player who plays at centre for English Premiership club Saracens and the Wales national team.
Tompkins came through the academy at Saracens. Born in Sidcup, England, Tompkins qualifies fo ...
, wingers
Gareth Wyatt,
Hal Luscombe
Haldane 'Hal' Naude Luscombe is a former Wales international rugby union player. His usual position was on the wing or in the centres.
The last team he played for was Worcester Warriors in the top level of English rugby, the Guinness Premiershi ...
,
Aled Brew
Aled Brew (born 9 August 1986) is a former Wales international rugby union player who played as a winger. He made his debut for the Wales national rugby union team against Ireland in the 2007 Six Nations Championship. In his career, as well a ...
,
Will Harries,
Tom Prydie
Tom Prydie (born 23 February 1992) is a Welsh rugby union player. A fullback who can also play on the wing, Prydie is the youngest player ever to represent the Wales national team and the youngest player in the history of Europe's top rugby ...
,
Hallam Amos,
Jonah Holmes and fullback
Kevin Morgan.
Percy Montgomery
Percival Colin Montgomery OIS (born 15 March 1974) is a South African former professional rugby union player. When he ended his international career in August 2008, he held the all-time records for both caps and points for South Africa's nati ...
,
Sione Tu'ipulotu,
Rod Snow
Rod Snow is a Canadian former professional rugby union prop.
Snow began his senior club rugby with the Newfoundland amateur club team Dogs RFC. He went on to play professionally in South Africa for Eastern Province in 1995, before joining Ne ...
,
Mike Hercus
Mike Hercus (born June 5, 1979) is a retired rugby union player who played at fly-half for the United States national team and several top level professional clubs around the globe.
Hercus is the USA Eagles' all-time leading scorer with 465 poi ...
,
Mike Petri
Michael Zachary Petri (born August 16, 1984) is a former American rugby union player who played for Rugby United New York (RUNY) of Major League Rugby (MLR). His position was scrum-half. He is known as "Peaches" by his teammates. He currently i ...
,
James Arlidge
; born 11 August 1979) is a Japanese international rugby union player. He plays primarily at fly-half.
Club career
Unusually, he made his Super Rugby debut for the Auckland Blues, prior to making his first start in provincial rugby, making th ...
,
Will Kelly and
Mesake Doge played internationally for their respective countries whilst with the region.
Of the current players
Ollie Griffiths
Oliver Griffiths (born 23 March 1995) is a Wales international rugby union player who plays for the Dragons (rugby union), Dragons regional team as a flanker.
Griffiths made his debut for the Newport Gwent Dragons regional team in 2014 having ...
,
Leon Brown,
Elliot Dee
Elliot Mitchell Dee (born 7 March 1994) is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a hooker for the Dragons and the Wales national team.
Early life
Dee was born in Newport and attended Newbridge Comprehensive School.
Club career ...
,
Aaron Wainwright,
Ross Moriarty
Ross Moriarty (born 18 April 1994) is an international rugby union player, who currently plays for Dragons RFC and Wales as a flanker.
Personal life
Moriarty was born in St Helens, Merseyside while his father, former Wales international Paul ...
,
Ben Carter,
Taine Basham, and
Will Rowlands have featured in Wales test matches whilst with the region, as have
Gonzalo Bertranou and
Aki Seiuli for Argentina and Samoa respectively.
Rhodri Williams
Rhodri Ogwen Williams (born 10 May 1968) is a Welsh sports journalist from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. He is currently employed by Qatar's Al-Kass Sports Channel and anchors the network's English-speaking studio.
TV career
Williams was a ...
,
Rob Evans,
Rhodri Jones,
Sam Davies and
Bradley Roberts achieved Wales international caps before joining the Dragons.
British & Irish Lions
The following players have been selected to play for the
British & Irish Lions
The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national ...
touring squads while playing for the Dragons.
Coaching staff
Former coaches
Results and statistics
Celtic League / Pro12 / Pro14 / United Rugby Championship
Celtic Cup
Heineken Cup / European Rugby Champions Cup
European Challenge Cup / European Rugby Challenge Cup
Anglo-Welsh Cup
Honours
*
Glasgow City Sevens
Glasgow City Sevens is an annual rugby sevens tournament held by Cartha Queens Park, in Dumbreck in the south side of Glasgow. The tournament was previously known as the Cartha Sevens and the Cartha Queens Park Sevens.
History
The first rugb ...
** Champions (1): 2008
References
External links
*
Bedwas RFC websiteCross Keys RFC websiteEbbw Vale RFC websiteNewport RFC websitePontypool RFC website
{{Authority control
Welsh rugby union teams
Rugby clubs established in 2003
United Rugby Championship teams
Organisations based in Newport, Wales