Dragons’ sale will hit backers for £5m

THE two oldest benefactors in British rugby are resigned to a loss of up to £5m as their sacrifice to save Newport Gwent Dragons.

Tony Brown and Martyn Hazell are prepared to write off the money under the terms of the Welsh Rugby Union’s purchase of the stricken region.

The WRU have paid £3.75m for the five-acre site at Rodney Parade. They are also providing a loan of around £400,000 to prevent the Dragons going out of business before their takeover on July 1.

Brown, 80 next weekend, and Hazell, 80 last week, admit that without the Union’s intervention the Dragons would have closed.

Englishman Brown, who runs an office equipment business, will lose £2.5m.

“Without the WRU we would have had to call in the bailiffs,’’ he said. “It is illegal to trade knowing you

have no funding. I am owed over £3m. If there is any money left over I shall be delighted but I’m not expecting anything

“I got involved in 1998 because Newport had been good to me and I wanted to give something back. I wrote off all the debts then, around £6m. I resigned in 2006 because of trouble with the WRU and I left the Newport Gwent Dragons debt-free.

“They called me back in 2011-12 when they were running out of money again. I put in another three and a quarter million. I did it because I do feel a strong sense of loyalty to the supporters.

“My main concern is to see rugby continue at Rodney Parade. The WRU are going to pick it up and run with it.

“They are the people to do it. They can think longterm. They have the will and the opportunity and the money.

“I’m getting on for 80. My function in life is to look after people as best I can and it’s our responsibility as directors to make sure everyone’s job at the Dragons is safe. We had some great, great times.”

Hazell, a haulage contractor who succeeded Brown as Dragons chairman, is owed £2m. “If you mess about with sport and go into it as a billionaire, you’ll be lucky to end up a millionaire,” he said. “It’s a thankless job.

“’If the Union hadn’t come in, we’d have closed. It’s just not working.”

The deal has still to be ratified by Newport RFC. They need a three-quarters majority in favour at an EGM next month.

Brown added: “If they don’t show sense and vote to keep rugby at Rodney Parade, then there won’t be a Rodney Parade. It will be a building site.’’