Founded | 2003 |
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Location | Newport, Wales |
Ground(s) | Rodney Parade (Capacity: 8,500) |
Chairman | David Buttress |
Coach(es) | Bernard Jackman |
Captain(s) | Cory Hill |
Most caps | Lewis Evans (204) |
Top scorer | Jason Tovey (776) |
Most tries | Aled Brew (43) |
League(s) | Pro14 |
2016–17 | 11th |
Official website | |
www |
Dragons (Welsh: Dreigiau) are one of the four professional rugby union regional teams in Wales. They are owned by the Welsh Rugby Union and play their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport and at other grounds around the region. They play in the Pro14 league, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the European Rugby Champions Cup/European Rugby Challenge Cup. The region they represent covers an area of southeast Wales including Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen with a total population approaching 500,000 and they are affiliated with a number of semi-professional and amateur clubs throughout the area, including Welsh Premier Division sides Bedwas RFC, Cross Keys RFC, 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 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.