CENTRE Ross Wardle has been released from his contract with Newport Gwent Dragons and will put his rugby career on hold after sustaining serious knee ligament damage in pre-season.

The 25-year-old suffered the blow playing for the Dragons in the Singha Premiership 7s at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park in July.

Wardle, who was contracted until the end of the season, went under the knife and has decided to take a break from rugby to pursue his career as a pharmacist.

The centre from Cardiff first caught the eye playing for Bedwas in the Principality Premiership and trained with the Dragons in the summer of 2012, impressing in a friendly against Biarritz in the south of France.

He went on to make a try-scoring debut in the Anglo-Welsh Cup at Bath in November of that year and was rewarded with a professional contract, fitting his rugby commitments in alongside his masters degree in pharmacy at Cardiff University.

Strong-running Wardle, who was once on the books of rugby league side Celtic Crusaders, went on to make 50 appearances for the Dragons, battling back from rupturing knee ligaments at Treviso in 2014 and then shoulder reconstruction the following season.

The popular centre will continue his rehab with the Dragons medical team while starting at Lloyds Pharmacy in a managerial position.