Newport Gwent Dragons are ready to ditch their name – but not their home – as they seek new investment.
The region are looking for new backers after their 50 per cent shareholders, Newport Rugby Club and the Welsh Rugby Union, agreed to relinquish their holdings for nothing.
That would give any new owner a clean slate and with the Dragons not owning either their Rodney Parade ground or their Ystrad Mynach training base, it could prompt plans to move elsewhere.
But the region’s chairman Martyn Hazell has insisted that staying in the city will be a condition of sale.
Keeping the name as the Newport Gwent Dragons, however, will not be.
Hazell said: “It’s been a mishmash from day one hasn’t it? I am not sure it’s right now but that’s not the most important thing at this time, I wouldn’t want to start changing names tomorrow,” said the chairman.
“Every time you want to move it to Gwent, the Newport people object to it, and every time you want to do Newport, the Gwent people object.”
But the new owners must agree to stay in the area, insisted Hazell.
“Rugby is staying here, I’ve not done all of this for the last 15 or 20 years to let rugby disappear,” said Hazell, who has been involved with the region since its creation in 2003.
“That’s a priority. We built the Bisley Stand for the Dragons and Newport RFC. It’s a Gwent team and should stay and play here. Where else are they going to play?”
The Dragons claim they have been working towards putting the club up for sale for a year, a revelation which may explain some of their low key and low spend activity in the recruitment market.
But the 79-year-old businessman and chairman now wants to cut a deal as soon as possible.
“I would feel despondent if we are still looking this time next year and I feel that if someone is going to invest then the approach will be in the next month or so. There’s no timescale for it but it’s not going to drag on, I might be wrong,” he said.
“I think someone will come forward – we can’t make the proposal any better than this can we? It’s ready for somebody to take the Dragons on.
“There is potential here, it just needs some more money and a fresh approach. The board all want the same thing.”