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Dragons CEO Rhys Blumberg has declared his ambition to turn the region into a genuine force in Welsh rugby, revealing plans for a £10m redevelopment of Rodney Parade as part of a bold vision for the club’s future.
It has been just over two years since Blumberg became Dragons chief executive, and much of that time has been spent trying to ensure the club’s survival.
The Welsh Rugby Union’s plans to reduce the number of professional teams from four to three placed the Dragons’ future under the spotlight, with the club’s historic on-field struggles leading many to argue it should be the one to make way.
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Instead, the Dragons have been given first refusal for the licence for east Wales, and Blumberg believes the club can now begin to realise the ambitions of owners David Wright, David Buttress and Hoyoung Huh.
“My general view is it has been a difficult process and it has been really tricky to be part of,” Blumberg tells WalesOnline.
“From a Dragons perspective we’ve had moments where we were forced to justify our existence when it was consultation time.
“Since then there’s been a consistent message from the union that we are going to three teams and that one will be based in east Wales.
“That has given us some sense of comfort but nothing is confirmed until it is confirmed.
“With regards how we get to three clubs all I can go on is the fact they have spoken about there being a central and an east licence being confirmed.
“I sympathise hugely with all rugby supporters in Wales who over the last 18 months have been faced with the prospect of their club going.
“Since the start of the consultation there have been a number of changes in that process with recommendations versus outcomes based on data etc.
“I put on record I think that whatever happens and however it ends up it is going to be really difficult for a number of fans to deal with and other stakeholders.
“Selfishly as CEO of the Dragons I see huge opportunity in this area with the population, the number of clubs, the economic stability and the opportunity in the city centre as one of the three big cities in Wales is mega.
“From a Dragons perspective it feels like we are only at the start of the journey. I know that sounds a little bit cheesy but I do feel like we’ve taken huge steps since this ownership group has come in.
“We are building an on-field performance we can be proud of and there’s definitely been strides forward in that.
“I see huge opportunity for rugby to grow in Gwent.”
Much of the tension between the professional clubs and the Welsh Rugby Union has centred on control. The WRU’s original proposal would have handed the governing body responsibility for the rugby operation at each professional club, leaving the owners to oversee only the commercial side of the business.
The issue came to a head last year when the Dragons’ ownership group walked out of a meeting with the WRU after just 10 minutes.
The governing body has since softened its position, but Blumberg insists protecting the club’s independence has been, and will remain, a non-negotiable principle.
“There’s been several things discussed around governance over the past 18 months and as it stands the union won’t be governing rugby in the pro clubs moving forward,” said Blumberg.
“I’ve got an ownership group who have been super successful from a business perspective. David Buttress has been involved in the game for many years now and understands the game while he is super passionate about it.
“David Wright played for Pontypool, Leicester Tigers and Cardiff, while he also played against the All Blacks.
“Ho Young is is very well put together from a global sporting perspective. He’s got a great insight into how things work from a sport perspective commercially given he owns baseball and football teams.
“So, collectively they are a great mix and they want to be involved in everything.
“They want to be involved in the commercial side of the business, the finances, the rugby, the operations, the media stuff and everything else.
“It’s important for them as an ownership group that they keep control of their club.
“We are absolutely fiercely independent and we are desperate to make this region what it should be.”
Over the coming months, the Dragons will begin to turn their attention towards what the future can look like beyond the current uncertainty.
If, as expected, they get the east Wales licence, the next phase of their plans will include a major redevelopment of Rodney Parade as part of a wider ambition to create a sustainable future for the region.
“We are quite far down the track with development here,” he said.
“We’ve appointed a project manager. We are looking at several projects particularly on the cabbage patch side of the ground whereby we will look to enhance additional facilities for our high performance team but also commercialise the site better.
“We want to create an environment where we can make more money which will ultimately be spent back on the club.
“You are talking £10m worth of investment with a lot of support from local government.
“It’s very much a community-led project around the main feature.
“We are looking at a full-sized 4G facility with a 1,500-2,000 seater stand depending on planning. Within that we would look to work with community clubs to give Gwent clubs the opportunity to come down to play finals here.
“We want to utilise the site more, local clubs who can’t train in the winter would utilise it and it would become a hub right in the heart of Newport where we give rugby and potentially other sports an opportunity to come down and utilise the site.
“Alongside that we’d love to run a commercial project like padel courts or something which would give us an opportunity for return on investment quite quickly.
“We are also looking at potentially teaming up with our wheelchair rugby team to put in a facility which would enable disabled sport on site.
“So, there would be three separate projects but you are talking of £10m plus.”
Since arriving at the Dragons, Blumberg has worked to change the culture at a club that has endured one of the most challenging periods in its history.
The upheaval has included a change of head coach, with Filo Tiatia replacing Dai Flanagan, but there were signs of progress last season.
Performances improved markedly and the Dragons reached the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup, offering encouragement that the club is moving in the right direction, even if Blumberg acknowledges there is still considerable work to do.
Investment in the playing squad and the development pathway will also be central to the Dragons’ plans.
Blumberg is keen to strengthen the club’s relationship with Haberdashers’ Monmouth School, viewing it as a key part of an effort to keep more of Wales’ emerging talent within the Dragons’ system rather than losing players to established English rugby schools such as Millfield and Clifton.
He also retains strong faith in head coach Filo Tiatia, whose first season in charge produced encouraging signs of progress.
Performances improved significantly, culminating in a place in the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup and offering evidence that the Dragons are beginning to move in the right direction.
“Arriving into the business, one of the objectives from the ownership group was to move rugby forward on the field,” he said.
“The off-field stuff is something I’ve worked in for years with regards commercialising stuff and trying to grow a business on rugby and non-rugby.
“Filo came in and I’ve watched him really change the culture at Ystrad Mynach.
“I’m happy with the direction of travel the club is heading in.”
Blumberg also believes the three remaining clubs in Wales will have to work hard with the WRU to create a vibrant future for the Welsh game.
“Whatever the outcome of this process, the next phase for whoever the three teams are is to renegotiate a new agreement because the current PRA is a four team PRA,” he said.
“We need to move into what a three-team PRA looks like but every pound that’s generated by the Dragons will be invested back into rugby whether that’s facilities, coaches or players.
“People just assume that all money goes to players but the operating costs of the club to make sure you can pay for things like food, saunas, ice baths, cryo chambers, big offices and gym equipment all add up.
“When you are generating more commercial revenue where you’ve got more events and you’ve got a redevelopment programme that generates revenue.
“What is best now for the team? Is it that we get a psychologist or another S&C coach.
“So, it is not always about signing more players on more money. That’s clearly a very big focus for us but we also need to invest in an environment where they can all flourish.
“We will continue to evolve and spend as much as we can on rugby. We will stretch ourselves every year.”
“Next season there’s a lot of players out of contract and a lot of recruitment work to be done, along with retention work.
“I would say watch this space. We are actively going out to try to sign some good players.”
For Blumberg, the next chapter is about more than survival. It is about unlocking the potential of a sleeping giant and turning the Dragons into a force in Welsh rugby and beyond.
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