Buttress: Blumberg arrival as chief executive vital for Dragons

The Rodney Parade club have operated without a permanent chief executive since Stuart Davies left shortly after the takeover by the Welsh Rugby Union in 2017.

Before that the likes of Gareth Davies, Chris Brown and Gethin Jenkins were in the role under the previous owners.

Now the Dragons, who were taken over by Buttress, David Wright and Hoyoung Huh last September, have brought in Blumberg from Cardiff.

They have had a busy recruitment drive as boss Dai Flanagan plots a much better United Rugby Championship campaign in 2024/25, yet an off-field 'signing' could be vital.

“Owners are important, head coaches are important but a chief executive is a key part of what you want to do if you want to grow a club," said Buttress, who will be replaced as chairman by Wright this summer.

Dragons co-owner David Buttress (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

"Think about the development of the stadium and 'cabbage patch', commercial inventory, sponsorship, growing ticket sales and developing the support base, the off-field environment and developing the skills of the work force.

"Those key things sit under the responsibility of the chief executive and we haven't had a permanent one.

"It's important to put someone in place who can own that and drive things forward for the next four or five years, working with the ownership and the board.

"It's a key investment and one of those appointments where it brings in more money than they cost.

"If you get the right person then they can be hugely important for any organisation.

"Great chief executives create tonnes of value in terms of profits, growth, environment, culture.

"We've all worked for a great boss and we've all worked for a bad boss.

"With a good one you have performance times ten because you want to go to work and you do great work, while with a bad one it's a nightmare."

"This appointment is designed to create a really positive environment at Rodney Parade."

Graeme Bradbury, Huh's representative on the Dragons board, has been interim CEO and is standing down this summer.

Blumberg has worked in a variety of roles at Cardiff – general manager, commercial manager, head of sales and marketing – under their long-standing chief executive Richard Holland.

He has also previously worked with the Hong Kong Rugby Union as well as Chepstow and Hereford racecourses.

Blumberg said when his appointment was confirmed: “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the Dragons as CEO. Having engaged with all three owners extensively, I am extremely excited about their energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to make the Dragons as good as they can possibly be.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Cardiff for the past four years and now look ahead to a thrilling future with the Dragons where I hope to make a real impact across all departments of the organisation.

“I am eagerly anticipating diving into this new chapter and connecting with all stakeholders. Together, let's embark on the journey to create a thriving and successful environment for all involved.”