Dragons Come Out Fighting - The Men Of Gwent Will Not Be Bullied
As discussions around the culling of rugby teams in Wales slump from one low to the next, the Dragons have become the first Region to come out fighting.
As discussions around the culling of rugby teams in Wales slump from one low to the next, the Dragons have become the first Region to come out fighting.
On Thursday the Newport based team published a statement saying, "Welsh Rugby deserves better", that there is "No way" they can support the proposals and "The WRU must rethink".
The statement makes several strong rebuttals to the WRU's proposals, which center around cutting the number of regions from 4 to 2. These include:
There is "no compelling case" for dropping from 4 to 2.
The WRU's financial and performance data "contained inconsistencies and are based on questionable assumptions".
The WRU's proposals to separate sporting and commercial activities at the regions "are not acceptable".
The Dragons' words echo the sentiments of many Welsh Rugby fans on social media who have highlighted numerous issues with the WRU's consultation documentation. These issues include the online survey containing leading questions and the consultation slide pack containing factual errors about the rugby pyramids in other nations.
Backs To The Wall?
When the proposals to cut a region first came to light, many assumed the Dragons would be the one to go due to them historically being the worst performing professional team in Wales. Their on pitch struggles have only worsened in the past few seasons, slipping to the bottom of the URC table for the first time last term.
What's more, if rumors are to be believed, the WRU's desire for one team in West Wales and one team in East Wales makes the Dragon's predicament even worse. The Dragons share East Wales with Cardiff - who the WRU currently own. Abi Teirney publicly stated that having no pro rugby in the Welsh capital was 'unthinkable' - therefore the natural conclusion is the Dragons will be the one to go.
However, they are now being referred to by many as being in the strongest when it comes to off-field operations. The region was in WRU ownership until as recently as summer 2023 until they were bought by a consortium lead by just-eat founder David Buttress.
The deal saw them take over not only the running of the rugby operation but also ownership of the Rodney Parade ground, meaning they posses a valuable asset which generates income beyond just Dragons home games.
What's more, the Dragons were the only independent region to sign up to PRA25 - the deal the WRU wanted all of the regions to sign as recently May 2025. This deal guaranteed the Dragons' funding from the WRU up until 2029.
Go Down Swinging
As such, it is not clear how the WRU would go about shutting the Dragons down. They do not have the power to close the business themselves, only deny them a place in the URC (which the union is a part owner of) and withdraw the centralized funding - which they cannot do for several seasons yet.
So far, the Scarlets' only public resistance has come indirectly via their new House of Luxury investors whilst the Ospreys continue present themselves as collaborators rather than adversaries. As businesses, neither are as secure off-field as the Dragons. Should the WRU cut them off, it is thought neither could survive.
By contrast, it seems unlikely the Dragons would go quietly. Their owners have been the most publicly outspoken of all the regions in the last year and Buttress describes himself as a stubborn individual. The statement on Thursday confirmed the region had sought legal advice on their current position and felt “confident”, lending credence to the suggestions they could launch a crippling lawsuit against the WRU should they be one of the teams cut.
As the saying goes: 'If I'm going down, I'm taking everybody with me'.