CAPTAIN Cory Hill believes that greater strength in depth can help the Dragons push on towards fulfilling their dream of Champions Cup rugby.

It has been a summer of change at Rodney Parade with head coach Bernard Jackman bringing in 14 new players for his second season at the helm.

The Dragons had a nightmare 2017/18 that featured just two wins in the Guinness PRO14 but there are hopes of brighter times ahead in Newport.

Wales lock Hill, re-appointed as captain, will be to the fore in the drive for improvement and has the ultimate aim of leading out his side in Europe's premier tournament, one that they haven't played in since 2011.

"We have set internal targets but we are not going to release those," said the forward at the PRO14 launch at Celtic Park in Glasgow, venue for next year's final.

"We have drawn Clermont Auvergne in the Challenge Cup, and it will be a great occasion at Rodney Parade because bringing those big giants to Newport will create a big buzz, but we would like to be playing them in the Champions Cup.

"The sooner we can get into that Champions Cup the better. It would be massive for the region."

The Dragons are not trying to run before they can walk and even being in the qualification mix for the big tournament would represent a pretty successful campaign.

Hill believes the summer recruitment drive – and high-profile recruits such as Ross Moriarty, Richard Hibbard, Rhodri Williams, Brandon Nansen and Aaron Jarvis – will translate in a healthier win record.

"We are looking a lot stronger this season. We have created that little bit more strength in depth in the squad and because of that training is a lot more competitive already," said Hill, who played in all 12 Tests last season.

"That's a massive bonus for us; if we are pushing each other a lot harder and training is more competitive then we are going to be better prepared and ready for the weekend.

"We've had a good core of players here at the Dragons for some time now and we missed the likes of Ollie Griffiths, Leon Brown, Jack Dixon and Tyler Morgan through injury last season.

"Those guys will be massive for us again this season along with the new guys such as Jordan Williams, Rhodri Williams and Daf Howells, the x-factor players with ambitions of getting into the Wales squad.

"Then you've got Richard Hibbard, Ross Moriarty, Ryan Bevington, Aaron Jarvis, all international players who have come back with hunger to kick on.

"It will create that culture of pushing each other and creating the environment that helps win games on the weekend."

Hill will feature for the first time this pre-season in tomorrow's final friendly at Gloucester. The Dragons name their team today.