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Signings and sponsorship boost for Dragons
3:35pm Monday 12th May 2008
NEW Zealanders Tom Willis, James Arlidge and Grant Webb have signed for the Newport Gwent Dragons on two-year contracts and car supermarket group Motorpoint will sponsor the region in a deal believed to be worth six figures.
The signings come after Dragons chief executive Gethin Jenkins and head coach Paul Turner went on a recruiting mission Down Under.
Motorpoint have pledged two years (with a third year option) to the region as title shirt sponsors.
Jenkins said: "The signings reflect the ambition of the Dragons ahead of the imminent stadium redevelopment. When Paul and I travelled to New Zealand we were determined to secure quality and experienced players to compliment the experience and emerging talent already nurtured by the Dragons within the region.
"It is important to ensure that we are signing the right type of players to join the Dragons and this formed a key reason for our trip to New Zealand."
He said the future was a bright one for the Dragons: "We explained our plans and the direction that the team is going and, as a result, the players have committed themselves to the Dragons for the coming two years.
"There are certainly exciting times ahead for the region and the signings reflect the growing confidence here at Rodney Parade."
The 29-year-old hooker Tom Willis, a qualified lawyer, has captained the All Blacks, has won five caps for New Zealand and is an experienced Super 14 player for Waikato.
New Zealand-born James Aldridge made a successful debut for Japan last year against South Korea, scoring with two tries and ten conversions and is currently on international duty in the Asian Five Nations tournament.
Number 8 Grant Webb, also aged 29, has played Super 14 and NPC rugby in New Zealand with Otago Highlanders and Hawks Bay and also spent some time in Japan playing for Toyota.
He has also featured for Ulster this season with experience of the Magners League and Heineken Cup.
Your Say YourGwent
monte_fisto, Newport says...
4:28pm Mon 12 May 08
newportsfinest, newport says...
4:28pm Mon 12 May 08
gavin, newport says...
8:13pm Mon 12 May 08
Exiled In Dorset, Poole Dorset says...
12:53am Tue 13 May 08
I have followed this club as player and supporter for the past 40yrs, through good times and bad, as true supporters do. There are far too many ready to shout from the rooftops when things don't go right, but in essence those are the times that everyone SHOULD get behind the club. I eagerly await for the start of the new season, making the journey(s) week in week out to follow my club.
richard, newport says...
7:41am Tue 13 May 08
Exiled In Dorset wrote:Here Here.
The signings and the sponsorship deal is a big boost for this club. I have no doubt that these are positive moves which will help the club move forward. I have followed this club as player and supporter for the past 40yrs, through good times and bad, as true supporters do. There are far too many ready to shout from the rooftops when things don't go right, but in essence those are the times that everyone SHOULD get behind the club. I eagerly await for the start of the new season, making the journey(s) week in week out to follow my club.
Mike, Newport says...
7:58am Tue 13 May 08
Khalid, Newport says...
8:18am Tue 13 May 08
Newport Ospreys, Newport says...
8:31am Tue 13 May 08
richard wrote:Just a minor point Newport RFC are the Club. Newport Gwent Dragons are a Region. No wonder the rest of Gwent are not behind the Dragons if they are treated the same.
Exiled In Dorset wrote: The signings and the sponsorship deal is a big boost for this club. I have no doubt that these are positive moves which will help the club move forward. I have followed this club as player and supporter for the past 40yrs, through good times and bad, as true supporters do. There are far too many ready to shout from the rooftops when things don't go right, but in essence those are the times that everyone SHOULD get behind the club. I eagerly await for the start of the new season, making the journey(s) week in week out to follow my club.Here Here.
Newport Ospreys, Newport says...
8:32am Tue 13 May 08
richard wrote:Just a minor point Newport RFC are the Club. Newport Gwent Dragons are a Region. No wonder the rest of Gwent are not behind the Dragons if they are treated the same.
Exiled In Dorset wrote: The signings and the sponsorship deal is a big boost for this club. I have no doubt that these are positive moves which will help the club move forward. I have followed this club as player and supporter for the past 40yrs, through good times and bad, as true supporters do. There are far too many ready to shout from the rooftops when things don't go right, but in essence those are the times that everyone SHOULD get behind the club. I eagerly await for the start of the new season, making the journey(s) week in week out to follow my club.Here Here.
Oddjob, Monmouthshire says...
8:58am Tue 13 May 08
Exiled In Dorset wrote:They've only been in existance for five years, and it's a Gwent region by the way, not a club.
The signings and the sponsorship deal is a big boost for this club. I have no doubt that these are positive moves which will help the club move forward. I have followed this club as player and supporter for the past 40yrs, through good times and bad, as true supporters do. There are far too many ready to shout from the rooftops when things don't go right, but in essence those are the times that everyone SHOULD get behind the club. I eagerly await for the start of the new season, making the journey(s) week in week out to follow my club.
Owain Vaughan, Newport Monmouthshire says...
9:24am Tue 13 May 08
man of newport, Newport says...
10:50am Tue 13 May 08
Owain Vaughan wrote:It's both.
I thought it was supposed to be a "rugby region", not a "Gwent region"?
Oddjob, Monmouthshire says...
11:42am Tue 13 May 08
Owain Vaughan wrote:You and me.
I thought it was supposed to be a "rugby region", not a "Gwent region"?
schlepney, newport says...
12:39pm Tue 13 May 08
Gwent Rugby Supporter, Not Newport says...
3:23pm Tue 13 May 08
Exiled In Dorset wrote:As someone else alluded to above, you can't have followed the Dragons for the past 40 years as they have only existed for about 5 or 6 years. Just goes to show that people in Newport think of both the Dragons and the RFC as Newport teams. People use the terms Dragons and Newport interchangeably when it suits them. It is no wonder that absolutely no-one from the valleys wants anything to do with them.
The signings and the sponsorship deal is a big boost for this club. I have no doubt that these are positive moves which will help the club move forward. I have followed this club as player and supporter for the past 40yrs, through good times and bad, as true supporters do. There are far too many ready to shout from the rooftops when things don't go right, but in essence those are the times that everyone SHOULD get behind the club. I eagerly await for the start of the new season, making the journey(s) week in week out to follow my club.
monte_fisto, Newport says...
3:53pm Tue 13 May 08
Gwent Rugby Supporter wrote:Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. You lot are as bad as the Nooport mob, why don't the lot of you (from both camps) leave the rest of us who want to see Gwent rugby at the top of the tree to get on with it?
Exiled In Dorset wrote: The signings and the sponsorship deal is a big boost for this club. I have no doubt that these are positive moves which will help the club move forward. I have followed this club as player and supporter for the past 40yrs, through good times and bad, as true supporters do. There are far too many ready to shout from the rooftops when things don't go right, but in essence those are the times that everyone SHOULD get behind the club. I eagerly await for the start of the new season, making the journey(s) week in week out to follow my club.As someone else alluded to above, you can't have followed the Dragons for the past 40 years as they have only existed for about 5 or 6 years. Just goes to show that people in Newport think of both the Dragons and the RFC as Newport teams. People use the terms Dragons and Newport interchangeably when it suits them. It is no wonder that absolutely no-one from the valleys wants anything to do with them.
Negativity gets you nowhere. And just for the record, was at the last match with people from Newbridge and Abertillery, which kind of shoots your little rant well out of the water.
snowy, Gwent says...
4:05pm Tue 13 May 08
monte_fisto, Newport says...
4:15pm Tue 13 May 08
snowy, Gwent says...
4:19pm Tue 13 May 08
growingdragonheart, newport says...
5:21pm Tue 13 May 08
gwentman, newport says...
10:58pm Tue 13 May 08
monte_fisto wrote:Unite or die.
Gwent Rugby Supporter wrote:Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. You lot are as bad as the Nooport mob, why don't the lot of you (from both camps) leave the rest of us who want to see Gwent rugby at the top of the tree to get on with it? Negativity gets you nowhere. And just for the record, was at the last match with people from Newbridge and Abertillery, which kind of shoots your little rant well out of the water.Exiled In Dorset wrote: The signings and the sponsorship deal is a big boost for this club. I have no doubt that these are positive moves which will help the club move forward. I have followed this club as player and supporter for the past 40yrs, through good times and bad, as true supporters do. There are far too many ready to shout from the rooftops when things don't go right, but in essence those are the times that everyone SHOULD get behind the club. I eagerly await for the start of the new season, making the journey(s) week in week out to follow my club.As someone else alluded to above, you can't have followed the Dragons for the past 40 years as they have only existed for about 5 or 6 years. Just goes to show that people in Newport think of both the Dragons and the RFC as Newport teams. People use the terms Dragons and Newport interchangeably when it suits them. It is no wonder that absolutely no-one from the valleys wants anything to do with them.
monte_fisto, Newport says...
11:30pm Tue 13 May 08
You really need to change the record. The only way we'll be dying is if you bore us all to death with your constant, churlish negativity.
welshmof, Gods Country says...
9:02am Wed 14 May 08
Your sayYourGwent
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growingdragonheart, newport says...
4:14pm Mon 12 May 08