- Abertillery-Blaenau Gwent RFC Discussion Forum -

Jim Nicholas · Joined: 20 Mar 2006 Posts: 8 Location: Eastbourne

It is a disappointment that the regional concept has not caught hold in Wales. There is no doubt that in the professional age the concept of regional rugby was the only way in which we could afford teams of the quality to compete in European competition and through which we could develop talent for the national team. The teams could have been named Newport, Cardiff, Swansea, Llanelli but it was hoped that The Dragons, The Blues, The Ospreys and The Scarlets would encourage the supporters in each region to identify with AND SUPPORT the top team in their own region. As an octagarian exile in England I am embarrassed to watch televised regional matches with such paltry attendances as that at The Ospreys match last week-end. Compare that with the Irish match in Reading ! Those Irish supporters travelled many more miles than the distance from Neath to Swansea or from within Swansea itself. The Dragons is as bad or even worse as their stadium must be the worst in professional rugby - and will continue to be so long as they cannot draw support from the former strongholds of Abertillery, Crosskeys, Ebbw Vale, Nerwbridge and Pontypool. What is wrong.

SCRUMDOWN · Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 7:39 am Post subject:

You are quite right that the regional sides have not caught on yet... BUT I have been to a few regional matches and I can say that attendances are increasing, slowly, the main problem is the marketing especially of the Dragons when they added the word NEWPORT in front of Dragons it removed any chance of support from 1000's of valley rugby fans. I have seen a bloke at a game in which he has had his supporters shirt re stitched with PONTYPOOL DRAGONS on it!!

The Dragons need to be looking a playing more games at their regional outposts!!! I know the under 20's etc play out of valley teams grounds but would it really hurt for the Dragons to also move around!!! Crosskeys, Pontypool & Abertillery all have the media infrastrucutre installed at their grounds to handle TV & radio.

I am 100% sure if the dragons palyed some games away from newport sales of shirts, hats & other money spinning goods would double! (treble if the word Newport was removed)

Before anybody says this is a valley biased thread - I live closer to Newport than I do to any valley & I own a newport rfc shirt & a dragons shirt + plus several classic aber ones as well Wink

Bring Rugby back to the people! Idea

The Sec · Joined: 12 Mar 2006 Posts: 249

Having spoken to David Watkins a while ago he threw up the following as reasons why the Dragons play their matches at Newport.

Sponsorship facilities, big paying sponsors expect their advertising and their boxes to be seen and available every match.

Upset the Newport crowd..... although they upset the valley supporters every week! He feels that the crowd base would reduce not increase.

Newport the only ground that can cater for high profile matches, Heiniken, Celtic etc.

I personally don't agree with his feelings, however it would be a great starting point if they dropped the Newport from their name, this would at least signal a willingness to integrate with the valley supporters.