Head Coach Dai Flanagan was a special guest at Coleg Gwent recently as we celebrated our successful partnership with one of Wales’ largest and top performing further and higher education colleges.
Dragons RFC and Coleg Gwent have a successful and long-standing relationship, with the college also enjoying Official Commercial Partner status since 2021/22.
The Coleg Gwent Rugby Academy - based at Crosskeys – has produced several leading players who have gone on to become stars for the Men of Gwent.
And Head Coach Flanagan was a recent visitor to the campus to see first-hand the fantastic work that is going on at the college.
Steven Llewellyn, from Coleg Gwent Rugby Academy, said: “As part of our continuing partnership with Dragons RFC we were delighted to have a visit from Dai Flannigan.
“The Rugby Academy at Coleg Gwent Crosskeys Campus is renowned for developing Dragons players. The likes of Elliot Dee, Jack Dixon, James Benjamin, Oli Griffiths, Harri Keddie and Aneurin Owen have all been here, plus exciting new talent like Ewan Rosser, Joe Westwood, Morgan Lloyd and Che Hope.
“It was great to see Dai and have him endorse the role that Coleg Gwent plays in nurturing home ground talent in Gwent and reaffirm the importance of our relationship in developing the Dragons RFC players of the future.”
Coleg Gwent – who feature on the Dragons kit and have LED display and pitch banner presence at Rodney Parade – remain one of Wales’ leading colleges for A Level and vocational studies.
The Coleg Gwent Rugby Academy enables aspiring rugby professionals to upskill and access a range of courses and qualifications on their doorstep, while opening up opportunities to enter the world of professional rugby with Dragons.
The Academy has grown from strength to strength and is driven by Matthew Jones (Head Coach and former Wales and Dragons player), Scott Matthews (Rugby Academy Coordinator for boys and girls and former Wales U20 international), and Steven Llewellyn (former Cardiff RFC).
Dai Flanagan said: “It was great to visit the Coleg Gwent Rugby Academy and spend some time with Matthew, Scott and Steven to learn more about how the Academy is working and its plans for the future.
“As a club, we’re very proud of our association with Coleg Gwent and the Junior Rugby Academy that enables us to continue supporting the community we represent, assist young players coming through development programmes and support post 16 education in our local area.
“We look forward to continuing to work with Coleg Gwent to nurture new rugby talent and open up opportunities on the pitch and beyond for those with aspirations to make it into the world of professional rugby.”
Find out more about the Coleg Gwent Dragons Junior Rugby Academy and how you can combine your rugby development with academic studies click HERE
We look forward to continuing to work with Coleg Gwent to nurture new rugby talent and open up opportunities on the pitch and beyond for those with aspirations to make it into the world of professional rugby...
