NEWPORT Gwent Dragons have confirmed the signing of New Zealand pair scrum half Danny Lee and prop Ben Castle, though they are losing Wales prop Rhys Thomas, who is joining the Scarlets.

The arrival of Lee and Castle was forecast in the Argus in January while the departure of Thomas has long since been known.

Castle, a Junior All Black currently playing for Western Force in the Super 14 competition, has signed a three-year deal with the Dragons while Lee, a full All Black like skipper Tom Willis, has signed for two years.

Their arrival will take the number of New Zealanders in the Dragons squad next season to seven - Castle, Lee, Willis, Grand Webb, James Arlidge, Hoani MacDonald and Nigel Hall.

Lee has played for Wellington Hurricanes, Chiefs and Auckland Blues and was the driving force behind the Hawkes Bay team he captained in the Air New Zealand Cup.

“He’s a proven performer at the highest level in New Zealand rugby over the past few years. He has a good track record and is a strong all-round player,” said Dragons coach Paul Turner.

“As a former All Black Danny brings tremendous pedigree and experience. He will be a valuable addition to the side and we are also confident he will help develop our emerging scrum halves.”

Lee, who is 32, has played for New Zealand at every level, scoring a try on his senior debut against England in 2002.

Castle, 29, captained New Zealand provincial side Bay of Plenty and made 42 appearances for the Chiefs as well as playing for the Junior All Blacks against Australia A.

“I’m pleased to be joining the Dragons and linking up with Tom Willis again. I played alongside him for the Chiefs for five years and played against Hoani numerous times. I’m excited about the direction of the region, there’s a great base of players there,” he said.

Turner added: “Ben joins us with great experience and leadership skills and is familiar with our captain Tom Willis. He will be a solid addition in the make-up of the Dragons squad.”

Thomas, son of a Newport man, has been at Rodney Parade for eight years after arriving from his native South Africa. He played for the youth team, then Newport and has been with the Dragons since the outset of regional rugby. He has won seven Welsh caps, the most recent against Italy this month.

“Rodney Parade has been a huge part of my life and I’ve had a great time there, but it was a pretty easy decision to join the Scarlets,” he said. “They’re a region with a strong tradition of being successful and Parc y Scarlets is a great stadium with superb facilities on site.”

Dragons chief executive Gethin Jenkins said: “We would like to thank Rhys for his service to Newport and the Dragons and wish him well.

“While we have lost Rhys we are confident we have recruited someone able to replace him in Ben.”