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 cen ...
,
Newport and at other grounds around the region. They play in the
United Rugby Championship and the
European Rugby Champions Cup
The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Heineken Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pr ...
/
European Rugby Challenge Cup
The EPCR Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union competition organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the second-tier competition for clubs based in European leagues behind the European Rugby Champions Cup. From its inception ...
. The region they represent covers an area of southeast Wales including
Blaenau Gwent,
Caerphilly
Caerphilly (, ; cy, Caerffili, ) is a town and community in Wales. It is situated at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley.
It is north of Cardiff and northwest of Newport. It is the largest town in Caerphilly County Borough, and lies wi ...
,
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, wit ...
, Newport and
Torfaen 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,
Caerphilly RFC,
Cross Keys RFC
Cross Keys RFC ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Pont-y-Cymer) is a rugby union club located in the Welsh village of Crosskeys. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union, and is a feeder club for the Dragons regional team.
History
The club achieved first ...
,
Ebbw Vale RFC and
Newport RFC.
Formed in 2003 as a result of the
introduction of regional rugby union teams in Wales, the team started life with a third-place finish in the 2003–04
Celtic League, 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
Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne () is a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system. Clermont are two times French ...
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
The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Heineken Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pr ...
.
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, 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 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
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 ...
, it was the region's most successful season so far. A 29–19 win over the
Ospreys
The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...
was to prove more telling; captained by
Andy Marinos
Andy Marinos is a Zimbabwean former rugby footballer who played rugby league and rugby union professionally and represented Wales at rugby union.
Rugby league career
Marinos signed for Australian rugby league club the Sydney Bulldogs in 19 ...
the side remained unbeaten at home in the Celtic League and eliminated
Stade Français
Stade Français Paris Rugby () is a French professional rugby union club based in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The club plays in the Top 14 domestic league in France and is one of the most successful French clubs of the modern era. The ...
in the
Heineken Cup
The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Heineken Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...
. 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
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
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 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 List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
. Wales
Percy Montgomery 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
Ceri Sweeney (born 21 January 1980 in Glyncoch) is a rugby union footballer who plays at fly-half for Pontypridd RFC and Wales.
Club career
In 1998, Sweeney joined Pontypridd RFC from Glyncoch RFC.
In 2003, with the introduction of region ...
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 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 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
Perpignan (, , ; ca, Perpinyà ; es, Perpiñán ; it, Perpignano ) is the prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the ...
27–14 at home, but were then beaten home and away by
Newcastle Falcons 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 returning to South Africa and Newport RFC stalwart
Rod Snow retiring.
Munster
Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following t ...
and
Sale Sharks proved too strong in the
2005–06 Heineken Cup
The 2005–06 Heineken Cup was the eleventh edition of the European Heineken Cup rugby union club tournament. 24 teams from 7 countries took part, with the opening game played on Friday October 21, 2005. Munster won the tournament, beating Biarritz ...
. 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
Leicester Tigers (officially Leicester Football Club) are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.
The club was founded in 1880 and since 1892 plays its hom ...
and
Northampton Saints were the highlights of a tough season. Turner remained, but Wales international
Hal Luscombe opted for a move away from the region, joining English Premiership side Harlequins.
Former Wales captain
Colin Charvis 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
Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne () is a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system. Clermont are two times French ...
. 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
Calvisano (Brescian: ) is a '' comune'' in the Italian province of Brescia, in Lombardy.
It is the manufacturing base of Lones Spa, manufacturer of Fly Flot shoes. Agritech is a known fiberglass silos company.
Sport
Its rugby union team, Rugb ...
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
Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...
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, Perpign ...
were not able to help reverse the side's fortunes. The Dragons
2007–08 Heineken Cup
The 2007–08 Heineken Cup was the 13th edition of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby.
The start of the tournament was delayed because of the 2007 Rugby World C ...
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 Vene ...
and exiting the Anglo-Welsh Cup in the pool stages for a third year running. Between completing a double over
Llanelli 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 ...
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
In geography, the antipode () of any spot on Earth is the point on Earth's surface diametrically opposite to it. A pair of points ''antipodal'' () to each other are situated such that a straight line connecting the two would pass through Ear ...
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
Darren Edwards (born 25 March 1974 in Maesteg, Wales) is a former rugby union player. A scrum-half, he was a member of the 2003 Wales national rugby union team and he played for Wales, Wales A, Sevens, Under-21, Students and Under-18 levels. Ed ...
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
Lyn Jones (born 1964) is a former Wales international rugby union player, and now works as a coach. A flanker, Jones has experience at various different levels of the game, both as a player and a coach. Jones played most of his playing career f ...
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-ei ...
head coach
Kingsley Jones who worked with him as a consultant at
London Welsh. 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
The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involve ...
, 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
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the department of Hérault. In 2018, 290,053 people l ...
.
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 cen ...
ground. Following the takeover,
Bernard Jackman
Bernard Jackman (born 5 May 1976) is an Irish former rugby union player who played for Connacht, Leinster and Sale Sharks. At international level, he has also played for Ireland. He released his autobiography, ''Blue Blood'' in 2011. He was dis ...
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 and
Richard Hibbard
Richard Hibbard (born 13 December 1983) is a Wales international rugby player currently playing for the Dragons.
Hibbard was born in Neath, Wales. He’s married with 3 children. A hooker, he started playing rugby at age grade levels at clubs ...
, 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,
Will Talbot-Davies,
Tom Griffiths,
Huw Taylor,
Nick Tompkins,
Joe Maksymiw
Joseph Mark Maksymiw (born 20 September 1995) is a professional rugby union player from England. He primarily plays as a lock. Maksymiw currently plays for Welsh regional side Dragons in the Pro14, having joined from Irish provincial side Conn ...
,
Greg Bateman and
Will Rowlands.
Ahead of the 2022–2023 season, the Dragons continued their extensive recruitment drive, including established props
Rhodri Jones
Rhodri Jones (born 23 December 1991) is a Wales international rugby union player. Jones was born in Aberystwyth, and is a Welsh-speaker. He currently plays for the Dragons RFC, having previously played for Ospreys, Scarlets and Llanelli. His ...
and
Rob Evans, as well as locks
Sean Lonsdale and
George Nott from the Premiership.
JJ Hanrahan
John Joseph Hanrahan (born 27 July 1992) is an Irish rugby union player who plays for Welsh club Dragons in the United Rugby Championship. He plays primarily as a fly-half, but can also play as a centre or fullback.
Early years
Hanrahan bega ...
joined from Clermont, while two centres; Welsh-qualified
Max Clark and New Zealander
Sio Tomkinson
Sio Tomkinson (born 27 May 1996) is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a centre for Dragons RFC in the United Rugby Championship. He has previously played for the Highlanders.
Early career
Hailing from Otago on New Zealan ...
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
Cardiff Rugby ( cy, Rygbi Caerdydd) are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby competitions.
Based in Cardiff, the team play at Cardiff Arm ...
, the
Scarlets and the
Ospreys
The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...
. Some in the Welsh rugby world, such as
Bobby Windsor
Robert William Windsor (born 31 January 1948 in Newport, Monmouthshire), known as Bobby and nicknamed "The Duke", is a former rugby union player who gained 28 rugby union caps for Wales as a hooker between 1973 and 1979. Windsor published his au ...
, 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
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands.
The city l ...
,
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 o ...
and
Northampton
Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England ...
. 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
Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, wit ...
county. The new badge includes three
fleur-de-lis derived from the county
Flag of Monmouthshire
The Monmouthshire flag ( cy, Baner Sir Fynwy) is the flag of the Historic counties of Wales, historic county of Monmouthshire (historic), Monmouth. It was registered with the Flag Institute as the official flag of the county in 2011 although its or ...
.
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 cen ...
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
Pontypool Park ( cy, Parc Pont-y-pŵl) is a park in Pontypool, Torfaen, Wales. The park was formerly the grounds of Pontypool House and was laid out in the closing years of the 17th century for John Hanbury, an ironmaster, who is closely associ ...
or Pandy Park (home of
Cross Keys RFC
Cross Keys RFC ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Pont-y-Cymer) is a rugby union club located in the Welsh village of Crosskeys. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union, and is a feeder club for the Dragons regional team.
History
The club achieved first ...
). 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
Cardiff Rugby ( cy, Rygbi Caerdydd) are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby competitions.
Based in Cardiff, the team play at Cardiff Arm ...
was hosted at the Constructaquote Stadium (formerly
Virginia Park), home of
Caerphilly RFC, due to a fixture clash with
Newport County AFC
Newport County Association Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Sir Casnewydd) is a professional football club in the city of Newport, South Wales. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club ...
;
[ ] and during the 2017/18 season when the Dragons hosted a
Pro14 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 p ...
in
Eugene Cross Park, 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
The Millennium Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm y Mileniwm), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm Principality) for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it is the home of the Wales national r ...
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 for 27-years in the
2005 Six Nations Championship.
Lewis Evans has made over 200 appearances for the Dragons.
Adam Black,
Jamie Ringer
James Edward Ringer (born 18 January 1976) is a retired Wales international rugby union player. He is currently the defensive coach for Merthyr RFC and Sales Director for Cornerstone Commercial Finance.
Domestic career
A flanker, capable of pl ...
,
Peter Sidoli,
Gareth Wyatt,
Steve Jones Steve or Steven Jones may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*Steve Jones (English presenter) (born 1945), English musician, disk jockey, television presenter, and voice-over artist
* Steve Jones (musician) (born 1955), English rock and roll guita ...
,
Luke Charteris,
Wayne Evans,
Aled Brew,
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,
Rynard Landman
Rynard Jaco 'Ligtoring' Landman (born 24 July 1986) is a South African rugby union player. He usually plays as a lock and occasionally as a flanker.
Career
Landman played his youth rugby with the and that's where he began his senior rugby ca ...
,
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 while with the region; props
Chris Anthony and
Rhys M. Thomas
Rhys Muir Thomas (born 31 July 1982) is a former Wales international rugby union prop forward.
Career Club career
Thomas attended King Edward VII School in Houghton, Johannesburg, South Africa alongside Joe van Niekerk and Bryan Habana. Desp ...
, hookers
Steve Jones Steve or Steven Jones may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*Steve Jones (English presenter) (born 1945), English musician, disk jockey, television presenter, and voice-over artist
* Steve Jones (musician) (born 1955), English rock and roll guita ...
and
Lloyd Burns, second rows
Ian Gough,
Luke Charteris,
Andrew Coombs
Andrew Coombs is a former Wales international rugby union player. His position is back-row forward or lock forward.
Career
Coombs attended Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun, and is a fluent Welsh speaker. He played for Newport Youth and Pontypool RFC be ...
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, Perpign ...
,
Jamie Ringer
James Edward Ringer (born 18 January 1976) is a retired Wales international rugby union player. He is currently the defensive coach for Merthyr RFC and Sales Director for Cornerstone Commercial Finance.
Domestic career
A flanker, capable of pl ...
,
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,
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, No ...
and
Taulupe Faletau
Tangaki Taulupe "Toby" Faletau (born 12 November 1990) is a Welsh professional rugby union player for Cardiff Rugby in the United Rugby Championship and has represented the national team for over 10 years. The back row forward played for Cro ...
, scrum halves
Gareth Cooper and
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...
, outside half
Ceri Sweeney
Ceri Sweeney (born 21 January 1980 in Glyncoch) is a rugby union footballer who plays at fly-half for Pontypridd RFC and Wales.
Club career
In 1998, Sweeney joined Pontypridd RFC from Glyncoch RFC.
In 2003, with the introduction of region ...
, centres
Andy Marinos
Andy Marinos is a Zimbabwean former rugby footballer who played rugby league and rugby union professionally and represented Wales at rugby union.
Rugby league career
Marinos signed for Australian rugby league club the Sydney Bulldogs in 19 ...
,
Tyler Morgan and
Nick Tompkins, wingers
Gareth Wyatt,
Hal Luscombe,
Aled Brew,
Will Harries
Will Harries (born 30 March 1987) is a Wales international rugby union player who currently plays at Chinnor RFC in the English. He has also played for the Northampton Saints, Bedford Blues (on loan) and the Newport Gwent Dragons.
Harries was e ...
,
Tom Prydie,
Hallam Amos,
Jonah Holmes and fullback
Kevin Morgan.
Percy Montgomery,
Sione Tu'ipulotu Sione is a given name and a surname. It may refer to: Given name A – K
* Sione Asi (born 1998), New Zealand rugby union player
*Sione Fakaʻosilea (born 1987), Tongan rugby union player
* Sione Faletau (born 1988), Tongan rugby union player
* Sion ...
,
Rod Snow,
Mike Hercus,
Mike Petri,
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 the ...
,
Will Kelly and
Mesake Doge
Mesake Doge (born 1 April 1993) is a Fijian rugby union player, currently playing for Pro14 side Dragons. His preferred position is prop.
Professional career
Doge represented Rugby Timișoara during the 2018–19 European Rugby Challenge Cup. ...
played internationally for their respective countries whilst with the region.
Of the current players
Ollie Griffiths,
Leon Brown,
Elliot Dee,
Aaron Wainwright,
Ross Moriarty,
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
Rhodri Jones (born 23 December 1991) is a Wales international rugby union player. Jones was born in Aberystwyth, and is a Welsh-speaker. He currently plays for the Dragons RFC, having previously played for Ospreys, Scarlets and Llanelli. His ...
,
Sam Davies and
Bradley Roberts
Bradley Roberts is a rugby union player who plays as a hooker for United Rugby Championship side Dragons RFC. He was called up to play international rugby for Wales in 2021.
Roberts was born in Durban, South Africa where he attended Durban ...
achieved Wales international caps before joining the Dragons.
British & Irish Lions
The following players have been selected to play for the
British & Irish Lions 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