NEWPORT Gwent Dragons benefactor Tony Brown accuses Welsh Rugby Union group chief executive David Moffett of adopting bully boy tactics and insists the Dragons will fight on in their battle with the Union for proper funding.

And he accuses Moffett of talking rubbish when he says playing out of one ground means the Dragons can't be considered a region.

Brown also hits out at Moffett and the WRU for failing to deliver regional rugby properly, calling it 'a hotchpotch.'

"My argument with the WRU is about funding," said Brown. "The Union acknowledge the difference in funding for a region as opposed to a stand alone club, the Union said we are not stand alone, so we must be a region and be paid as a region.

"This was a dispute between the WRU and the Dragons. We would have preferred it to be kept that way and not given the level of publicity Mr Moffett decided to give it.

"I'm not sure legally whether the WRU have the right to arbitrarily withhold funding prior to face-to-face discussions .

"They are bully boy tactics of do as we say or any disagreement you have we will withdraw funding.

"We haven't bullied anybody, we want to know where we stand, but they have only clouded it. They say we'll pay you as stand alone and if you don't like it we won't pay you anything.

"It's an absolute red herring about playing out of two grounds. That was never a consideration even when Marcus Russell (then Ebbw Vale chief) was on board.

"He conceded without any argument that sensibly we can only play Celtic League and European rugby out of Rodney Parade, it's down to the two parties agreeing.

"It's nonsense and kite flying to divert attention from a pretty solid argument.

"Leighton Samuel decided to play all the Warriors games at Bridgend last season, but that never stopped them from being paid as a region.

"And to say that regional rugby has delivered is rubbish because you have got two stand alone clubs and two regions. What was delivered was a hotchpotch.

"We have got one man who is the sole arbiter of what is just or unjust, so God help us all.

"When we are convinced we haven't got any argument we've got no option but to sign (the participation agreement), but at this moment we've got a very solid argument for taking the stance we are."