“I am honoured to have been selected as captain of the first regional entity in Gwent. It is an exciting venture and I am enjoying reacquainting my working relationship once again with Mike Ruddock and Clive Griffiths, having both played and captained under them with the Wales A team.
“We have assembled a very committed squad with a high work ethic, as has been evident since training began on the 1st July. As a group of players we are excited at the challenge of both regional rugby and to establish Gwent as a dominant figure within Welsh and European Rugby.
“The tensions between the clubs, the union and the supporters have been well documented over the past 3-4 months. I urge you the media and the supporters and major players to get behind your new regional team, THE DRAGONS.
The players I believe have in all this been the pawns in a very long game of chess, and have just had to get on with the task at hand and are the ones who will be judged should the results not go the way that others want.
“I am excited by the new challenge that we have before us and it is not too dissimilar to my time with The Stormers in South Africa which also had a massive transformation when we changed the identity of the region and we will look to take this region to the same heights. It is however important to remember that it was the effective working of the squad, supporters ,media and the business community that made the Stormers the success that it is.
“We are a determined bunch of players and as depicted by our new identity the Dragon. It’s fire is at it’s strongest once it has been bellowing in the belly for some time , so I leave you with this thought-. We are in the belly at present and awaiting our exit!”
