Dragons leave for Belfast with new Captain and Outside-Back
New arrival Tom Willis has been named the Newport Gwent Dragons captain for next season and will travel to their Belfast training camp on Sunday 10 August alongside new signing outside-back Rory Sidey, eager to establish themselves in their new roles.
Hooker Tom Willis who left New Zealand for a two-year contract with the Dragons replaces former skipper Colin Charvis who joined the region’s backroom team early last month. He brings over 60 games experience as player and captain in Super 14 for Waikato/ Chiefs and five caps for the All Blacks in 2001-02.
Head Coach Paul Turner paid tribute to Tom Willis whose leadership skills and experience he has been keen to attract to Rodney Parade. He said:
“We have given Tom time to settle in at Rodney Parade and work with his team mates and he is fully aware of the responsibility that comes with this appointment.
“We decided to go down this route mid-way through last season and I feel that he is ideal for the role.
“He has taken over from a quality leader in Colin Charvis and I fully expect both of them to use their experince to drive the squad forward in the foreseeable future.”
Tom Willis is looking forward to the challenge ahead as Dragons captain. He said:
“It is an honour to be given the responsibility of leading such a proud team and I acknowledge that we have a real challenge on our hands but it’s one that I will accept head on.”
“I’m looking forward to travelling to Belfast with the squad this weekend and putting in some honest and hard work in preparation for a season which everone round here has high expectations.”
Outside back, twenty-two year old, Rory Sidey joins the Dragons from the West Sydney Rams on a two-year contract. Dragons Head Coach Paul Turner added:
“Rory has size, pace and good handling skills and comes with good reports from a lot of knowledgable Aussies that I’ve talked to recently.
“We were made aware of the young back Rory Sidey’s availability a month ago and it was a position in the squad that we felt needed bolstering. After a lot of research and homework on the junior Waratah, he was well worth giving the opportunity.”
The Dragons head to Belfast on Sunday 10 August for an intense training camp ahead of their preseason games. The squad is as follows:
Backs – Martyn Thomas, Gareth Maule, Tal Selley, Rhodri Gomer Davies, Ashley Smith, Gareth Maule, Rory Sidey, Phillip Dollman, Marc Stcherbina, Richard Fussell, James Arlidge, Shaun Connor, Jason Tovey, Rob Lewis, Wayne Evans
Forwards – Adam Black, Hugh Gustafson, Rhys Thomas, Lee Harrison, Tom Willis (captain), Steve Jones, Duane Goodfield, Adam Jones, Luke Charteris, Adam Brown, Jamie Ringer, Dan Lydiate, Lewis Evans, Colin Charvis, Joe Bearman, Jamie Harris, Richard Parks.
