The Dragons have long been the runts of the Welsh regional litter, just looking to survive rather than thrive, but under their chairman, David Buttress, who joined last September, they have developed a taste for ambition. As well as signing two Lions in Ross Moriarty and Richard Hibbard, they have spoken to a third, George North, as part of a 10-year plan to get them dining at European rugby’s top table.
If this sounds far-fetched given the Dragons have wallowed in the depths of the Pro 14 for most of their 15-year existence, Buttress cites the example of Exeter, who meticulously plotted their rise from the Championship and left nothing to chance.
“I am a big fan of what Exeter have done but the best organisations have an authenticity to them,” said Buttress, a co-founder of Just Eat who started the business in his basement London flat, turned over £36 in the first month and stood down as chief executive last year when the company had a market capitalisation of £5bn. “I want us to be the best we can be: Exeter set a long-term plan and achieved it. When there were bumps in the road, they remained focused. As a board, we have a clear idea of where we want to take this region.
“Success does not come overnight. At Just Eat, it took years of 70-hour weeks and 50-week years and it is going to take 10 years at the Dragons. We will be in a much better place in two and competitive on the pitch in three. After five, I would hope that we are the most competitive and respected region in Wales. Beyond that, there is Europe and by that time the aim is to be investing money we have generated through revenue.”
Gwent is Welsh rugby’s most densely populated district with 73 member clubs of the Welsh Rugby Union. Rivalries are fierce and when the regions were established in 2003, the initial partnership between Newport and Ebbw Vale, who formed the Dragons, did not last long. The side became known as Newport Gwent Dragons and was seen by many as an extension of Newport RFC, the then-owners of Rodney Parade.
Buttress grew up supporting Pontypool but always identified with the Dragons. “My grandfather was treasurer of Pontypool for years,” he said. “The other side of the family followed Newport – my father lives only a few metres from Rodney Parade and has been a Newport County season ticket holder for 60 years. As a Pontypool fan I always identified with the Dragons because they represent the elite end of the game in Gwent.
“I do not get emotional about the name (which at the start of the season was changed to Dragons). What is relevant to me is that it is my home, the players largely grew up where I did and they are the best of our area. I have a clear affinity with them. The onus is on us to make sure everyone in the area feels that same affinity. We are building a team they can be proud of and trying to create success. The catchment area is the whole of Gwent, not part of it. I accept that, historically, that has not been done well in regional rugby; I would say that here it was pretty poor.
“I love the tribalism in our game, which is nothing to be embarrassed about. You want that emotion, but it has to be harnessed in the right way.”
Buttress had not long stood down as Just Eat’s chief executive when he was approached by the WRU’s chief executive, Martyn Phillips. The Union was preparing a bid for the Dragons to prevent the region from potentially going bankrupt. “They wanted a chairman to help run the operation,” he said. “The answer was always going to be yes, but the question was how I made it work. It is hugely compelling and exciting: when you run a public company, you feel an enormous responsibility to shareholders who have helped you grow your business. Rugby is more a passion and supporters are your shareholders. The connection is emotional rather than rational, but the strategy is the same in terms of the fundamentals of profit and loss, good leadership, long-term strategy, hiring capable people and empowering them.”
Buttress made a “relatively significant” investment in the Dragons but his role is not one of benefactor. “That model does not work in rugby because it is short-term,” he said. “I grew up in a council estate in Cwmbran and know the value of a pound; my mum worked part-time to get us through school and I do not throw money around. My job here is about building something that sustains and I would not leave a legacy if all I did was write cheques.
“Ross Moriarty is a big signing for us and we would love George North to join, respecting that the Scarlets are his club of origin. We are building a side around great local talent – we had five young players in the Wales squad last autumn. Welsh rugby needs four competitive regions; anyone who thinks parochially is missing the big picture. It would have been a disaster for Welsh rugby if the Dragons had not survived. Competition brings out the best in people; a lack of it breeds lethargy.”
• This is an extract taken from the Guardian’s weekly rugby union email, the Breakdown. To subscribe, just visit this page and follow the instructions.
