MORE than 3,000 fans signed Newport Rugby Supporters Club's petition on Saturday in a last ditch effort to keep the Newport name in the title of the new Gwent regional team.

And there is the promise of more to come, Newport West MP Paul Flynn among them, as well as other businessmen in the city.

A total of 3,254 supporters signed the petition, giving names and addresses, in eight hours at one site near John Frost Square.

"I'm very happy with the response," said supporters club chairman Dennis Bennett.

"Everyone is positive and loads of gave their support.

"And lots took forms away pledging to get more signatures.

"We plan to do it again next Saturday. I had nothing in mind initially about how many names we'd collect, but now we're now hoping for even more signatures than our 6,000 average gate."

The supporters club will next week present the petition to Welsh Rugby Union group chief executive David Moffett on his return from holiday.

They will also present a copy to main directors Tony Brown and Marcus Russell and to David Jenkins, chief executive of the new region.

Russell said in Saturday's Argus that the title of the team will be Gwent, with the possibility of a name being added, but Brown stressed there was no agreement while Newport president Martin Hazell said the name had not been decided.

Bennett added, "We think it should be a hard business decision, it's no use have a politically correct name if the new business is going to go bust because of lack of support."

Hazell said: "The response to the petition is good. It is what we are trying to do, it's commercial and common sense because without the Newport supporters it's dead in the water. I hope people signing the petition will buy season tickets if we get this through, we're doing our best to make it happen."