SCRUM-HALF Jonathan Evans is leaving Newport Gwent Dragons at the end of the season and is set for big-spending Aviva Premiership side Bath.

The 22-year-old from Bargoed is in the final year of his contract at Rodney Parade and will be reunited with former Dragons head coach Darren Edwards, who is on the management team at the Rec.

Evans has made 73 appearances for the Dragons and was voted by Argus readers as their player of the 2012/13 when his stellar efforts were unlucky not to result in a place on Wales’ tour to Japan.

He fell behind Richie Rees in the pecking order last term but has made a promising start to 2015, wearing 9 in the European Rugby Challenge Cup wins against Newcastle and Stade Francais.

The news of Evans’ departure comes hot on the heels of the Dragons revealing that South African scrum-half Sarel Pretorius is joining next season once he has completed his Super Rugby commitments with the Cheetahs.

The region have announced that he is leaving without confirming his destination.

However, he is heading to Bath, who have Chris Cook, Peter Stringer and Micky Young on their books and have also signed Fijian ace Niko Matawalu from Glasgow.

Director of rugby Lyn Jones said: “We are sad to see Jonathan leave us but we wish him all the best for the future.

“He still has a lot of game time left with us at the Dragons and I hope that he intends on leaving the club on a high note. We hope to see him back at the Dragons in the future.”

Richie Rees starts at scrum-half in tomorrow’s LV= Cup encounter against Exeter at Rodney Parade with Luc Jones on the bench.

Dragons academy prospect Owen Davies, 19, has been impressing with Newport in the Premiership this season and is in the Wales Under-20s squad for the upcoming Six Nations.