PEACE has broken out, and the war of words between Newport and Ebbw Vale has ended. The Welsh League Premier Division match between the Gwent rivals will go ahead at Rodney Parade tomorrow as scheduled and at last all the action in the region can take place on the field rather than off it.

The Russell brothers of Ebbw Vale and Martyn Hazell of New-port met Welsh Rugby Union group chief executive David Moffett yesterday and a peace deal was agreed.

Hazell will be the chairman of the board with a casting vote, while the other board members will be Newport benefactor Tony Brown plus Paul Russell and one other to be announced from Ebbw Vale.

It has also been agreed by the WRU and Ebbw Vale that the name of the side will be Newport Gwent Dragons.

There was no suggestion of Vale pulling out of the region or of Newport securing stand alone status.

A statement issued by the region today says: "After a long meeting yesterday all grievances were put to one side and it was agreed to vote two Ebbw Vale representatives on to the board of Gwent Rugby Ltd.

"The name of the region is Newport Gwent Dragons and we now look forward to everyone working together. We ask all rugby supporters in Gwent to get behind the Dragons and make the region a big success both on and off the field."

That brings to a climax a week which reached a major impasse with Marcus Russell, so angry at the return of Tony Brown to the Dragons board without any approval by Ebbw Vale or any consultation as 50 per cent shareholders, that he threatened to pull the club out of the fixture with Newport.

If they did not receive the same representation on the Dragons board as Newport and if the WRU did not step in, Russell insisted Ebbw Vale would never meet Newport again.

They risked major penalties if they carried that threat out, but it did not come to that after yesterday's peace-making meeting.

But Newport have succeeded in getting their club name in the title, while Hazell will have that all-important casting vote.