2021 – a year like no other! The last 12 months has been a difficult period for everyone around the world and it has been a tough year for sport.
The pandemic has meant games behind closed doors for a lot of the year - but welcoming you all back at the start the new campaign was a huge highlight of 2021.
There has been plenty of highs and lows and Gavin Barrett takes a look back at 2021 in the world of Dragons Rugby, from debuts and milestones to achievements on and off the field.
DRAGONS DEBUTS
Let’s start with the newest players to grace the field in a Dragons jersey with nine players making their debut for the region over the last 12 months.
We saw the likes of Argentinian international Gonzalo Bertranou, Dan Baker, Ioan Davies and Taylor Davies all join the region at the start of 2021 as we finished the league campaign strongly before heading into the inaugural Rainbow Cup.
While Dean Ryan strengthened the side over the summer for the 2021/2022 season as we saw international stars Will Rowlands, Mesake Doge and fellow prop Aki Seiuli join Dragons while speedster Jordan Olowofela and experienced scrum half Lewis Jones made the move on loan.
MAGIC MILESTONES
The last 12 month has also been a year of major milestones for some members of the Dragons squad.
Winger Ashton Hewitt became a centurion at the age of just 26 and he celebrated in style with a brace of tries against the Ospreys in a victory over their rivals at the Brewery field.
Richard Hibbard, who has had an illustrious career with 38 caps for Wales and three caps for the British & Irish Lions, made his 50th Dragons appearance against Irish province Connacht at Rodney Parade in February. The hooker didn’t score in his first 49 games but managed a hat trick on his milestone appearance for the region to celebrate in style.
Wales international prop Leon Brown also reached his 50th appearance for Dragons in the league victory over Edinburgh at the Principality Stadium in March.
Finally, there is back row Taine Basham who at just 22-years-old reached the 50 cap landmark against Leinster at Rodney Parade this season.
DERBY JOY AT BREWERY FIELD
One of the undoubted highlights of the season was a stunning 31-20 win against the Ospreys in the Guinness PRO14 at the Brewery Field.
The win ended the Dragons’ losing streak and was a first away derby success on the road since the triumph at Cardiff Arms Park on Boxing Day 2014.
Dean Ryan’s side not only won in Bridgend but secured with a bonus thanks to a first-half try by Aaron Wainwright and doubles after the break by Ashton Hewitt and Jonah Holmes.
The Director of Dragons Rugby had called on his side to cause more problems with ball in hand, after struggling against their Welsh rivals over the festive period.
They certainly did that with a stunning performance that cut the Ospreys’ defence to shreds in the second half in Bridgend. The win over the Ospreys was the start of a strong run of form to end the 2020/21 season.
SUCCESS IN THE CAPITAL
The victory over the Ospreys lead to an upturn in form as the Men of Gwent travelled to the capital for the next three league games, due to stadium developments at Rodney Parade.
First up was Ulster and a late Dragons fightback ensured they left the Principality Stadium with a losing bonus point after suffering a 22-26 defeat to the Irish opposition.
Dragons continued their momentum into a Scottish double header, claiming back-to-back victories over both Glasgow and Edinburgh making it three wins from four games.
THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Last year saw extensive work at Rodney Parade with the famous old ground now exhibiting a striking new look to start the 2021/2022 season.
Dragons - in Partnership with South Wales Sports Grounds (SWSG) - unveiled the new SIS stitched Hybrid surface and transformed the playing surface and has enhanced the reputation at Rodney Parade.
Contractors SWSG worked hard to ensure the stadium was ready to welcome supporters back at the start of the season.
The contractors used state-of-the-art stitching equipment work on the hybrid playing surface so the groundstaff team can continue pitch preparations.
The pitch is framed and highlighted by a striking fresh 4G surround, taking inspiration from the coat of arms for the city of Newport.
New balconies and bifold doors for hospitality areas in the Bisley Stand are also complete and work on the LED floodlights is complete.
Finally, a new home dressing room, that has doubled the old floor space and has been decorated.
UNWAVERING COMMERICAL SUPPORT
It’s been a difficult year on and off the field due to the global pandemic but at the Dragons we are grateful for the support of our commercial partners - old and new - and we look forward to continuing our journey together in what could be a very exciting 2022.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY
The Dragons Community department have had an impressive 2021, which culminated in being nominated for a diversity award.
The National Diversity Awards celebrate role models, entrepreneurs and community organisations. Dragons Community was nominated in the Diverse Company of the Year category for the amazing work the team does across a range of provisions. The team works hard to engage, inspire and create lifelong positive impacts across our region, through the delivery of innovative, diverse and inclusive activations.
Never was this more evident than when the Community department launched a brand-new Autism provision in late 2021. The new provision has sessions run by fully qualified and experienced autism rugby coaches and are filled with fun engaging activities that include mini games and soft play. There is also sensory equipment available for the children in what was the first autistic rugby provision in Wales.
HERE’S TO 2022...
The last 12 months has been a difficult time for everybody, but we are thankful to our supporters, community teams and commercial partners for standing side-by-side with us - we appreciate all your unwavering support.
Everyone at Dragons now looks forward to welcoming you all back to Rodney Parade for an exciting 2022.
Happy New Year #DragonsFamily
