County 'locked in' at Rodney Parade even if relegated

Newport County will continue to call Rodney Parade home regardless of whether they drop out of the English Football League this season, the ground’s rugby tenants, the Dragons, have confirmed.

The Exiles have occupied the city-centre stadium since 2012 and operate under a rolling 10-year lease that is renewed annually in accordance with EFL regulations. With 13 League Two fixtures remaining, the club sit bottom of the table, three points from safety, and face a genuine threat of relegation to the National League.

Although the lease agreement contains no provision to lower the rent if County slip into non-league, Dragons chief executive Rhys Blumberg told supporters this week that the rugby region will work with the football club to ease the financial burden if the worst happens.

“Legally Newport County are tied in long-term, but relegation would have an impact,” Blumberg said during a supporters’ forum. “They are optimistic about staying up, but should that not work out then we will have to think about what comes next. They won’t go anywhere; they will still play here, but it would just be about how we operate their games and how it works commercially.”

The pledge offers a measure of stability to a club that has spent much of the past 12 months confronting balance-sheet pressures. Owner Huw Jenkins, who completed his takeover in January 2024, has repeatedly highlighted the club’s financial constraints, prompting officials to open the north terrace only when anticipated crowds justify the additional operational costs.

While County battle to preserve their league status, the Dragons are navigating their own period of uncertainty. The Welsh Rugby Union intends to reduce the number of professional teams from four to three, with one of the remaining sides to be based in east Wales. Dragons, who along with Cardiff signed the Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA25) last year, believe their five-year deal provides a degree of protection.

“There is a lot going on with the other teams, but we’re still in the background poking the bear around what the next five or 10 years looks like for the Dragons,” Blumberg said. “It’s not panic stations because we have PRA locked in with a five-year term and know our funding for the next two years. We are recruiting and retaining players on a budget we know we have got under PRA25.”

The WRU must serve a two-year notice period by 1 June should it wish to terminate the Dragons’ PRA, a scenario Blumberg insists the governing body is keen to avoid. “The Union desperately need us to be stable and involved in the future plans. We have a solid foundation and they don’t want us to go off track.”