THE Dragons’ entire derby schedule has been wiped out after Saturday’s United Rugby Championship trip to the Scarlets was postponed because of a Covid outbreak.

The Rodney Parade side were meant to lock horns with their three regional rivals on successive weekends but have suffered a clean sweep of derby disappointments.

Issues in the Ospreys camp led to the Boxing Day trip to Swansea being delayed until later in the campaign and then positive cases reported by both the Dragons and Cardiff did for the New Year’s Day encounter in Newport.

Dean Ryan’s men were supposed to head west on Saturday evening but they have suffered more problems.

The Dragons returned 17 positive cases and while some of them are back in training, others have been ruled out to go along with a lengthy injury list.

“A number of positive Covid-19 cases within the Dragons playing squad have been reported by the region,” said a URC statement.

“The URC medical advisory group has liaised with the region and having considered all the facts have deemed that the fixture cannot go ahead as scheduled.

“The United Rugby Championship will now consider available dates to reschedule the game.”

That will be no easy task in a congested schedule with the Dragons now having three derbies to rearrange.

The likelihood is that URC will have to slot in games during the Six Nations.

The Dragons are meant to return to action against Benetton in Treviso in the Challenge Cup next weekend, although there is uncertainty over the European competitions.

Ryan's squad were last in action against Lyon on December 17 and their next URC fixture is a home game against Benetton on Friday, January 28.

That game could be played behind closed doors because of Welsh government restrictions.

The Dragons had a lengthy injury list before the scheduled derbies that featured full-back Jordan Williams, wing Ashton Hewitt, centres Jack Dixon and Cory Allen, scrum-halves Gonzalo Bertranou, Rhodri Williams and Lewis Jones, tighthead Lloyd Fairbrother and back rowers Ross Moriarty, Ollie Griffiths and Lennon Greggains because of injury.