TEAM NEWS
Head Coach Bernard Jackman has called Pat Howard into the starting line up for the Drgaons for the Boxing Day clash with Cardiff Blues. Sam Hobbs, Gavin Henson and Cory Hill line up against their former team, whilst James Sheeke, who was signed from Cardiff RFC, starts at number 8.
Dragons Team
15 Hallam Amos, 14 Ashton Hewitt, 13 Adam Warren, 12 Jack Dixon, 11 Pat Howard, 10 Gavin Henson, 9 Dan Babos; 1 Sam Hobbs, 2 Elliot Dee, 3 Lloyd Fairbrother, 4 Joe Davies, 5 Cory Hill (c), 6 Aaron Wainwright, 7 James Benjamin, 8 James Sheekey.
Replacements; Liam Belcher, Thomas Davies, Nicky Thomas, Rynard Landman, Ben Roach, Sarel Pretorius, Angus O’Brien, Jared Rosser.
Cardiff Blues Team
15 Matthew Morgan; 14 Owen Lane, 13 Garyn Smith, 12 Rey Lee-Lo, 11 Aled Summerhill; 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Tomos Williams; 1 Brad Thyer, 2 Matthew Rees (capt), 3 Anton Peikrishvili, 4 Seb Davies, 5 Macauley Cook, 6 Josh Navidi, 7 Olly Robinson, 8 Nick Williams.
Replacements: Kirby Myhill, Gethin Jenkins, Keiron Assiratti, Damian Welch, Josh Turnbull, Lloyd Williams, Jarrod Evans, Tom James.
TICKETS
All Dragons Seasonal Members are able to use their membership cards for this match and for those fans who don’t have a membership, match-day tickets subject to availability can be purchased directly from the Rodney Parade Ticket Office in person at the gate. Please arrive early to give yourself plenty of time to get into the ground and not miss the start of the match. The Ticket office is open from 9am
The Ticket office is open from 9am so come early to avoid long queues or disappointment as a sell out is predicted.
give yourself plenty of time to get into the ground and not miss the start of the match. The Ticket office is open from 9am
PRE MATCH ENTERTAINMENT
Our We Fight Any Claim fanzone opens from 11.30am, where you can meet players for autographs, get pre-match drinks and grab a bite to eat, plus you can enjoy a Q&A with a Dragons first team player hosted by the official Dragons Supporters Club. Also for the children there's free face painting and plenty of child activities with rugby skills, Spin to Win with Superbowl UK and you can meet our entertainers from Lala Productions as well as the Bouncing Elves.
NEW FANZONE BAR
In partnership with Coors and Guinness there’s a new fanzone bar open for tonight’s PRO14 clash. The bar is located at the end of the Hazel concourse, ideally suited for supporters in Blocks D & E as well as the South Terrace, plus additional bars have been added around the ground including at the South Stand for customers attending our Christmas and New Year fixtures.
TOP TIPS FOR ENJOYING THE GAME
1. Arrive Early: Come and enjoy the atmosphere at Rodney Parade and avoid the rush, with our We Fight Any Claim Family zone open from 12pm and gates open an hour and half before kick off.
Pre-match there’s the chance to collect autographs with Dragons players in the marquee and you can get pre-match drinks and a bite to eat, plus plenty of activities including free face painting, Spin to win with Superbowl UK and a Q&A with a Dragons first team player hosted by the official Dragons Supporters Club at 6.45pm. We'll also welcome our resident DJ from Sound 2 Light Roadshow.
2. Cash is King: Payments at the food and drink units and any ticket upgrades you may need to purchase are cash only. The nearest cash points are on Clarence Place and Corporation Road should you require one.
3. Don’t forget your tickets: No duplicate tickets will be issued, so bring your tickets particularly if you selected Print@Home.
4. Check the ground regulations: Please refrain from going on the pitch which is strictly off limit. This is to ensure you adhere to the Stadium Ground Regulations.
5. Stay onside: There are plenty of bars around the ground so please do not bring alcohol onto the premises as it is prohibited within our Ground Regulations. Remember Rodney Parade is a family venue so please respect your fellow supporters.
6. Enjoy: We want you to have a great night out supporting the Dragons so have a great day and enjoy your visit to Rodney Parade.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITY
The youngsters performing the guard of honour are from the Dragons Community regional club’s engagement programme – Chepstow, St Julians HSOB and Caerleon. The juniors will take part in a half time parade
TONIGHT’S CHARITY
The match day collection today will be for former Dragons player Ed Jackson organised by his charity fundraising committee. Please give generously.
Supporters' Club competition - Guess the 1st Try scorer – look out for your opportunity to predict the first try scorer tonight to win a prize from our match day partners Superbowl UK who will be at the game with some special prizes.
AFTER MATCH PARTY FREE LIVE MUSIC
Performing a catalogue of soul classics after the match tonight in the We Fight Any Claim marquee are the excellent Rich Mix.
RODNEY PARADE TRAVEL
For an update on how to get to Rodney Parade, please click here.
Supporters are urged to respect our local residents when travelling to and from the stadium.
Please remember, if you are attending a match at Rodney Parade and have an issue, please contact your nearest steward. Following a game, you can email any observations, complaints or issues to info@dragonsrugby.wales
Thank you and enjoy the game.
