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THINGS YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW…
ABOUT THE DRAGONS!
Previously known as Newport
Gwent Dragons, the WRU this
summer purchased the club and
its Rodney Parade ground and
officially registered the side as
the Dragons.
01
Former Ireland coach Declan
Kidney was appointed Head
Coach in 2004 – but before
taking charge of a game he had
a change of heart and instead
took up the reins at Leinster.
02
The Newport-based club’s most
successful year in the new Celtic
League was its first – finishing
3rd in 2003/4.
03
As one of Welsh rugby’s five
new regional sides in 2003 the
Newport Gwent Dragons was
intended to draw its players from
the Ebbw Vale and Newport
clubs.
04
Number 8 Michael Owen
famously skippered Wales to
its first Grand Slam in 27 years
in 2005.
05
Dragons' Gareth Cooper and
Michael Owen toured with the
British and Irish Lions in 2005 in
New Zealand, and in 2013 Dan
Lydiate and Taulupe Faletau
played in Australia.
06
The club has played in three
European Challenge Cup
semi-finals and reached the
last four of the Anglo-Welsh
Cup once.
07
The club’s record points-scorer
is Jason Tovey with 776 points,
while winger Aled Brew is the
record try-scorer with 43.
08
After guiding the Dragons
to its best ever finish in the
league in 2003/04, Head
Coach Mike Ruddock was
appointed as Wales’ coach and
immediately won the Six Nations
Championship Grand Slam.
09
This season’s captain, lock Cory
Hill, was one Warren Gatland’s
so-called ‘Geography Five’ -
called in to the Lions’ 2017 tour
of New Zealand as short-term
injury cover.
10
DRAGONS