The Newport Gwent Dragons can today confirm that back row Dan Lydiate has recommitted himself to the Men of Gwent after signing a two-year contract extension.
The new contract will keep the Dragons Academy product at Rodney Parade until the end of the 2012-13 season.
“I’m absolutely over-the-moon to have signed a new contract,” said Lydiate.
“We had a really good season and it is somewhere that I wanted to stay, so I am glad it has worked out.
“There was a little bit of interest but I still had a year left on my contract and I wanted to stay so I have extended my contract.
“The Dragons have always looked after me. I came up through the academy so there are a lot of boys here that I have been with for a long time.
“They were there, right through, with the neck injury. I was out for almost a year and they kept in contact with me. When I couldn’t do anything they were always on the phone to me and some of the management and coaches came down to visit me.
“Even though I was away for a long time they made me feel involved. It is things like that that you remember.”
22-year-old Lydiate is currently recovering from the ankle injury which ruled him out of the tail end of the 2009-10 season and ended his hopes of making the Wales summer tour party. But the two-cap Welsh international fully expects to be available for the start of the season.
“We are all looking forward to the new season,” said Lydiate.
“I did some running today and have been doing all my rehab and conditioning. I will be fit for the start of the season. It is just a question of how many of the pre-season games I will make.
“First of all I want to get my place with the Dragons back. Obviously I want to be involved with Wales, but I need to make sure I am playing well.
"Wales have stayed in contact. I was down with the squad before the summer tour doing some of the training. But first and foremost I need to cement a place with the Dragons.
“With all the boys we have signed, I think there is 10 or 11 of us fighting for a place in the back row, there’s a lot of competition which is good and will ensure we are all playing at our best. Hopefully the rest will look after itself.
“It’s a really exciting time to be here with the squad and coaches we have. A lot of us have come up together, we are still young men and then there’s boys like Toby (Faletau), who made a really big impact last year, have come up.
“It’s good to have so many talented young players and hopefully we can continue to grow and improve together. Obviously we want to finish higher than in previous years. If we can pick up a few more results and bonus points away from home we should be pushing.”
Rugby manager, Robert Beale, added:
“We’re delighted to secure the services of Dan Lydiate until the 2012-13 season having come through our academy system. Dan is a true success story of our development programme and is someone who can take us forward in our future.”
