THE Dragons have completed the permanent signing of scrum-half Lewis Jones.

The 29-year-old has spent the season at Rodney Parade, initially on loan from Cardiff and then on a short-term deal after being released by the Arms Park side in February.

Jones earned the 9 jersey for the first two games of the season before suffering a bicep injury.

He has returned to make four more outings when competing with Rhodri Williams and Gonzalo Bertranou for action, a tussle set to continue next season.

Williams is already under contract for 2022/23 while Argentina international Bertranou is close to extending his deal ahead of next year’s World Cup.

Dragons director of rugby Dean Ryan said: “We’re really pleased that Lewis has signed for us after impressing throughout this season.

“Lewis beings energy to the squad, has shown his quality again since returning from injury and his experience will be vital for helping develop the young players coming through our system.”

South Wales Argus: DEAL: Lewis JonesDEAL: Lewis Jones

Jones made 120 appearances for Cardiff before making the move to Newport because of the presence of Wales internationals Tomos Williams and Lloyd Williams.

The scrum-half, who scored in the defeats to Zebre and the Ospreys, said: “I’m delighted to sign with the Dragons and excited about the future here.

“It’s a fantastic group of boys here who have really welcomed me into the set-up and who are all determined to bring success to the region.”

Tavis Knoyle made an early exit ahead of his contract expiring this summer while Dan Babos, who played on loan for Coventry this season, is set to leave when his deal runs out.