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Newport Gwent Dragons
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Welsh Rugby Regions 2003
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The ( team from Wales, playing in the
Celtic League and
European Rugby Cup /
European Rugby Shield .
__NOTOC__
The club came into being in the summer of 2003 when the
WRU controversially elected to reduce the current top tier of Welsh professional rugby from nine clubs into five regions, attempting to mirror the successful formats in
Ireland and the
Southern Hemisphere countries of
South Africa ,
Australia and
New Zealand .
Newport Gwent Dragons officially represent southeast Wales, and play all of their matches at Rodney Parade, situated in the city of
Newport , although friendly (pre-season) games have been played at a number of other grounds around a region that includes well-known club sides such as
Pontypool RFC ,
Newbridge RFC and
Abertillery RFC .
Largely drawn from the
Newport RFC and
Ebbw Vale RFC sides of the preceding year, Newport Gwent Dragons were considered one of the weaker regions in the Welsh game, although their coach
Mike Ruddock was considered one of the best. However, this in a way worked for them as they were disrupted less than other regions by missing players during the
2003 Rugby World Cup . A creditable third place finish in the
Celtic League was the result, impressing
WRU bosses enough for Ruddock to be offered the vacant
Welsh coaching job in the summer of 2004.
In their second season of existence they finished in 4th place in the Celtic League and in the pool stages of the Heineken Cup.
The naming of the region has caused considerable turbulence because, unlike the stand-alone regions of the
Cardiff Blues and
Llanelli Scarlets , the Newport Gwent Dragons were a new regional creation who are meant to represent a "Gwent region". Some in the Welsh rugby world believed that including the name Newport would alienate some fans in the surrounding valleys including fans of the historic Ebbw Vale RFC. Several names were suggested but all were rejected. In the end, the WRU decided the regions name for them, the Gwent Dragons. This name didn't even last until the beginning of the season, because Ebbw Vale RFC went that close to bankruptcy, and were forced to sell their stake to Newport RFC. After this, the name Newport was added to the front of the title. In reality, the side has lost more supporters by including the name "Gwent" in its title. The crowds supporting the Newport Gwent Dragons average about 4,000 - half the number that supported the Newport team that it succeded. Although controversy surrounding the naming of the region might be petty, rugby in
South Wales is deeply divided amongst hundreds of historic rugby clubs with bitter rivalries.
play all their home matches at
Newport 's
Rodney Parade (home of
Newport RFC ). This is the only ground in the region with facilities suitable for regional games, with a capacity of around 11,000 and the city of Newport is the centre of the region's transportation system. However, it is ageing compared to other more modern stadia, and faces serious health and safety issues in the not too distant future.
Season |
Pos |
Played |
Won |
Drawn |
Lost |
Bonus |
Points |
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2003/2004 |
3rd |
22 |
16 |
0 |
6 |
8 |
72 |
Season |
Pool/Round |
Pos |
Played |
Won |
Drawn |
Lost |
Bonus |
Points |
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2003/2004 |
Pool 1 |
4th |
6 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
9 |
