RODNEY the Dragon met a SuperDragon at Wales’ newest school last week.

The Newport Gwent Dragons mascot was on hand at the new Llanwern High School’s integration day for Year 6 primary school pupils heading to the school in September.

Around 150 children from schools including Alway, Ringland, Llanmartin, Eveswell and Casnewydd were at the school for the taster day.

The pupils had the chance to have a PE lesson using the newsports facilities, a music lesson in the jam pod room which is equipped with electric guitars and drum kits, as well as a drama lesson in the new theatre studio.

South Wales Argus: superdragon diary

They also got to meet Dinkum the SuperDragon, which will be based at the school for this year’s trail.

The creation of professional model maker Brent Johnson, 57, from Stow Hill, Newport, the dragon is based on an Olympic theme.

Mr Johnson said: “It has painted figures in action on it, in a sort of aboriginal art, cave painting kind of style.

“Now we have digital cameras which can take hundreds of pictures, but I wanted to give that feeling of capturing a moment in time.”

Mr Johnson is a veteran of the last SuperDragon project, where he got to meet European Ryder Cup captain, Colin Montgomerie, after his Flag-on Dragon was selected to grace the Celtic Manor for the event.

That dragon, like Dinkum and his other 2010 creation Seasons Dragon, were brightly coloured creations and likely to catch the eye.

And the name Dinkum, like the aboriginal artwork, was a nod to Mr Johnson’s Australian father.

“As far as I am aware the phrase ‘fair dinkum’ is an Australian phrase for everything’s OK. It’s just got a nice little ring to it really!”

The school wanted to thank the Dragons’ community department, and Education Staffing Solutions for helping to put on the day, and also providing all the children with Dragons flags.