WRU to take over The Dragons |
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reesytheexile
Veteran Joined: 11 August 2012 Location: Machynys Status: Offline Points: 17530 |
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Posted: 01 March 2017 at 4:41pm |
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Wales on line announces that WRU taking over the Dragons and no chance of not having a Gwent region. Other regions must be fed up with this?
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KID A
Moderator Group Joined: 16 August 2004 Location: Cardiff Status: Offline Points: 27572 |
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Will they turn it into a development team?
As Pearl Jam would say..."There's no smoke without fire" |
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reesytheexile
Veteran Joined: 11 August 2012 Location: Machynys Status: Offline Points: 17530 |
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Martin Phillips the CEO seems committed to 4 regions so we can expect a number of players being approached now perhaps to bolster their team- will this mean pinching players off the other regions on increased salary deals? Bit of a worry although to be positive I guess the WRU will totally control the region and will be looking to keep as many players in Wales ( I assume? ) as possible and use Dragons for this perhaps?
It will on the downside mean WRU spending money ( a lot?) on the Dragons so will there be less available for the other 3 regions and if so it hardly seems fair. Pro Rugby Wales needs to meet with WRU asap.
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dr_martinov
Veteran Joined: 06 August 2005 Location: Tycoch Status: Offline Points: 13286 |
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Turn it into? |
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Wil Chips
Rambler Joined: 23 August 2009 Location: Pembs Status: Offline Points: 50983 |
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Significant this.
Conjecture of course, but some reorg had to occur due to the governance conflicts that would arise around tv rights, Cup income, NDCs etc. My favourite punt is a to combine it with North Wales. |
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pêl rygbi
Newbie Joined: 19 October 2014 Status: Offline Points: 87 |
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I saw this but am confused. Are the WRU taking them over or is it speculation they should take them over.
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Rugby Supporter
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Why
Veteran Joined: 22 August 2010 Status: Offline Points: 8738 |
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They should shut it down they only gave the Celtic Warriors region a couple of seasons to sort it out the Dragons have had years and all they have been is a drain on the other regions and Welsh rugby as a whole.
This has to mean there is going to be less money to go round whether that be at regional level or lower down. They should be saying to them come up with business plan that does not include money over and above what the other regions get if they can't then put the last regional place out to tender whether it be to the Vallies, London or North Wales. Edited by Why - 01 March 2017 at 6:41pm |
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She asks why i still can't answer. I guess its in the blood.
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Wasp
Veteran Joined: 29 April 2008 Location: Sunny Pembs Status: Online Points: 17562 |
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Less money going round will be a big problem for us. We're the least secure of the 3 remaining private regions.
Without a significant benevolent investment or additional income stream I fear we'll end up falling further behind. The Ospreys are heavily subsidised by the Swans/ Liberty and Cardiff have more significant backing and the prospect of a huge property deal to underwrite them. |
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We're still still here, but I wish we were in an Anglo-Welsh
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Wasp
Veteran Joined: 29 April 2008 Location: Sunny Pembs Status: Online Points: 17562 |
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It's hugely significant for us in the medium term. The Central contract/ pooling of TV income has been rejected.
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We're still still here, but I wish we were in an Anglo-Welsh
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minded
Admin Group Joined: 09 July 2009 Location: N18 Status: Offline Points: 11889 |
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Dragons chairman Martyn Hazell says a WRU takeover of the region is by far the best option - with the alternative being bankruptcy and Rodney Parade becoming a building site.
Hazell believes the Union taking up the reins is the only way to sustain professional rugby in Gwent. The Dragons have been up for sale for close on a year now, but no new investors have been secured, and so the WRU are ready to step in. Currently 50-50 joint owners of the region along with Newport RFC, they would assume full ownership of the Dragons and Rodney Parade if the buy-out goes ahead. For that to happen, the proposal would need to be approved by 75 per cent of the membership of Newport RFC, the part owners of the region and owners of the ground. The Union would pay "a substantial amount of money" for the stadium, which was redeveloped with the construction of the new Bisley Stand in 2011. But Hazell insists he and fellow benefactor Tony Brown are not expecting to get back the millions they have ploughed in over the years. “We are talking with the WRU and are in negotiations with them. There have been a few hitches, but we are getting there," said Hazell. “I am very comfortable with them taking over. That would be the best outcome. “The alternative would be bankruptcy. We can’t just carry on as we are. Where will we get the money from? "I can’t do it anymore. I can’t keep ploughing money into it, nor can Tony Brown. "It’s the only option, other than selling the whole lot to a builder and we don’t want the place turned it into a building site. “I am trying to keep rugby at Rodney Parade for Newport and the Dragons. "This is the only way of achieving that. “All the members of Newport RFC will have a vote on it. There will need to be a 75 per cent mandate for it to go through. “If they vote against it, then nothing can happen. There will be no rugby here, just a building site. There would be nothing in the area.” Explaining how the WRU takeover would work if approved, Hazell said: “They would own the whole thing, Newport, the Dragons, Rodney Parade. "They would take over the lot. That would be the best option for us and for them. “What better way forward than to hand it to the Union to guarantee rugby for the next ten years at Rodney Parade. “The Union say they are going to redo the pitch and spend money on it." Hazell explained the ground currently belongs jointly to Newport RFC and the benefactors who support it. “The WRU would buy the ground. It would be a substantial amount of money," he said. "But there are debts. We owe the WRU a lot of money, we owe a bank an overdraft." There has also been speculation that the sale proceeds might go towards paying off loans owed to Newport board members like Hazell and Brown. But Hazell declared: "We will never see it back again. Most of that would be a gift. "Tony and myself are not expecting to see our money back. “For rugby to stay at Rodney Parade, we are willing to give up a lot of money owing to us." As for whether the full Newport Gwent Dragons name would be retained, Hazell said: “It would be up to the WRU what they call it. “They should just call it Dragons and be done with it. I have no issue with the name. "When it was cut to just four teams, they should have been called Newport, Cardiff, Swansea and Llanelli. "But that didn't happen and those days are gone now." Hazell was speaking in the wake of the Friends of Newport Rugby expressing "grave concerns" at the prospect of the Black and Ambers selling their historic home. They are seeking meetings with Newport and Dragons chief executive Stuart Davies and the board and have already arranged to meet with WRU top brass Martyn Phillips and Gareth Davies. “Friends of Newport Rugby are gravely concerned about the future of Newport RFC and the potential sale of its assets,” read a statement from the Trust. “The lack of communication with the club could lead to the assumption that decisions are being made concerning Newport RFC, which are not in the best interests of the club. “FoNR will continue to request for the detail of the current negotiations to be shared so we can act in the best interests of Newport RFC. “If required, FoNR will seek legal advice on behalf of shareholders and supporters of Newport RFC so we get the best outcome for our world famous club. “Now is the time for supporters to get behind our club before it is too late. We need to ensure Newport RFC keeps its home, identity and assets.” Newport and Dragons chief executive Davies said: "I fully recognise how important the Friends of Newport Rugby and the Dragons Supporters Club are as stakeholders, and have explained to both organisations that I will be happy to speak to them at length at the appropriate time and take all their questions. "It is my sincere hope that we will be able to provide a full update to everyone in the very near future.”
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greypower1
Veteran Joined: 04 December 2010 Location: Pwll Status: Offline Points: 4205 |
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Will we be next? Pro rugby in Wales is unsustainable if we want all the Regions to be competitive. How many Regions are feasible? If we were to be honest with ourselves we'd say two, as in Scotland but would that provide enough players for the National team to thrive which is vital to generate revenue to keep pro rugby alive?
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Keep the faith
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najbritcol
Veteran Joined: 04 January 2017 Location: SWANSEA Status: Offline Points: 1012 |
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That is too alarmist. Wales has a much bigger player base than does Scotland, and rugby is much more important here too. I think the Dragons and Blues could merge, but Ospreys and Scarlets could easily remain.
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John
Veteran Joined: 15 August 2004 Status: Offline Points: 4995 |
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The Mr Hazell comments above show that there is a common theme between the Drags and the Blues. In each case a swirl of a mess of governance with a combination of rich financiers and amateur sports clubs; also a feeder club tied to the region to the exclusion of others. It was only recently that we separated off Llanelli RFC from the Scarlets but it is a good thing we did. There was a short spell in the summer of 2003 when it was going to be Gwent Dragons but then there was a coup and Newport reasserted itself. I remember seeing someone in Cardiff at a WC warm up match in that year wearing a Gwent Dragons shirt so the enterprise got far enough to manufacture the new shirts. When the Newport coup occured, then all the other clubs backed out of any involvement and it seems to have remained the same since. The Cardiff/Ponty stand-off may have had different origins but it amounts to the same thing and has similarly bedevilled progress and the building of an inclusive identity for the new region.
Add in the Wodger era in the WRU and no wonder regional rugby has failed to grow. But 2 seasons ago, I went to see us play in Edinburgh (the 26 all draw) and the Edinburgh programme was full of a new development of a meeting with the city businessmen.In order to build funding sources and the support of the team. For all Welsh rugby's problems, we went through that stage decades before. And now Edinburgh have downsized to a small stadium with a capacity of 5000 or so with all sorts of planning and access problems. So we are not in the worst situation. Nor should anyone hold up the Scottish situation as a way to go. For all Glasgow's progress, they have won the pro 12 the same number of times as us and far fewer times than the Os. |
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minime
Newbie Sod the Dragons, I'm a Turk now Joined: 19 September 2010 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 91 |
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There was no coup. The Gwent Dragons went into administration very quickly as they only managed to sell 47 season tickets. The 'region' was only saved by adding Newport to the name.
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Clart with a heart now living in the land of the one eyed!
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reesytheexile
Veteran Joined: 11 August 2012 Location: Machynys Status: Offline Points: 17530 |
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The only 1 region has been the Budgies really. We, Cardiff and Dragons are really the same clubs! The disaffection in the Valley clubs to regions remains a real hindrance to the game. I wish WRU luck in sorting it all out!!
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Wasp
Veteran Joined: 29 April 2008 Location: Sunny Pembs Status: Online Points: 17562 |
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Spot on. There's never been any real demand for regionalism in Wales. And by real demand I mean from people actually willing to spend time and money, not demands from people who are just bitter that their own clubs didn't make it.
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We're still still here, but I wish we were in an Anglo-Welsh
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