LESS THAN TWELVE months after announcing plans to establish themselves as an independent club, Newport Gwent Dragons are set to be taken over by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU).
The WRU this afternoon announced it intends to take ‘operational control’ of the Guinness Pro12 club by 1 July 2017.
Newport Gwent Dragons were previously jointly owned by Newport RFC and the WRU but under the new takeover deal, the national governing body will assume control of the region both on and off the pitch.
Wales Online reports that there are plans to change the club’s name to ‘the Dragons.’
The deal also includes the purchase of Rodney Parade with the WRU stating that it plans to make ‘required investments’ to the stadium and its pitch. The ground is also used by Newport RFC and Newport County AFC.
WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips stresses that the move is designed to safeguard the future of rugby in Gwent.
Current Dragons chairman Martyn Hazell and businessman Tony Brown had been investing money into the region after the club’s founders, Gwent Rugby Ltd, went into administration in 2015.
“It is important for us to go immediately on record to sincerely thank both Tony Brown and Martyn Hazell for all they have done for NGD and for their professionalism and support throughout this recent process in particular,” Phillips said.
“All parties recognise that from an NGD perspective significant improvement is required on and off the pitch and that it is now time to take a different approach.
“This investment is equally designed to safeguard Newport RFC and its rich history at Rodney Parade and provides a long term programme where we focus on putting in solid foundations to ensure a sustainable and successful team in the region.
“Without this action the future of both the NGD and Newport RFC is at best uncertain, along with the existence of Rodney Parade.
“There is still a lot of hard work to be completed before the proposed transaction proceeds, but it is important to recognise that there will be no magic wand.
“We have put together the very best package we can for rugby in Gwent, but there is clearly still work to be done and there is an ongoing process of due diligence to be followed in order to achieve the best outcome for Welsh Rugby.
“Initially we will focus on consolidating a high performance environment for the players and on ensuring high quality coaching.
“We know that we can only deliver on our ambitions if the communities of the region are engaged and get behind the team, but we believe that the solid foundations and sustainable future we will provide will be central to that happening.”
Dragons are currently 10th in the Pro12 with four wins from 17 games this season.
The club have already announced the signings of Gavin Henson and Leinster’s Zane Kirchner for the 2017/18 season.
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