The man who was brought in to help lead the Dragons to a brighter future has left Wales' crisis region less than a year after being appointed by the WRU.
Mike Davies has stood down as managing director of Wales' worst-performing pro team.
He's the fifth key figure to leave the Gwent region since it was taken over by the WRU less than two years ago, following in the wake of Kingsley Jones, Stuart Davies, Hendre Marnitz and Bernard Jackman.
Cwmbran-born Davies joined the Dragons with more than 30 years’ experience as a senior executive with DIY giant B&Q – where WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips was also once its chief executive.
His appointment followed the departure of chief executive Stuart Davies, the former Wales and Swansea No.8, just months after the buy-out by the WRU.
A Dragons statement confirmed his departure and that chairman David Buttress will move into an executive chairman role for the remainder of 2019.
Buttress said: "We would like to thank Mike for his contribution to the Dragons during his time with the region.
“As a Board and organisation we are determined to dramatically grow our revenues to continue to invest in the team, commercial and stadium infrastructure as well as community development programmes, so a strong leadership team at the helm is essential to drive the region forwards.”
Mike Davies said: "This has been a difficult decision to leave the region. However, I’m convinced that this is the right time for me and the Dragons to make a change.
"My roots are embedded in Gwent and I will continue to be a fervent supporter of the team. Although there’s much work still to do to achieve success, there’s great potential for the Dragons to build a bright future.
“Off the field we’ve seen growth in our commercial revenues this last twelve months and refined our financial accountability. There’s an academy brimming with young talent that’s performing at age grade level and the region is supplying an increasing number of international players for both Wales under-20s as well as the senior side, enjoying recent Grand Slam success.
“I would ask everybody to get behind David and the Dragons team.”
Mike Davies held several senior leadership roles during his time at B&Q. When he was appointed, the board of the Dragons described him as having a proven track record in delivering results, as well as building and developing high performing commercial teams.
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But already disappointing attendances have been flagging this campaign with rugby followers disillusioned by results and performances of their team .
The WRU laid out a three-year road-map for success when it took over, with a focus on representing Gwent’s 73 clubs.
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The objective by 2020 was for the Dragons to be playing in front of larger home crowds, performing better on the pitch and be making an important contribution to providing a thriving club, junior, community and amateur scene throughout the region but it hasn’t happened yet.
WRU chief Phillips, speaking less than a fortnight ago , insisted the WRU was right to take over the Dragons but had found it more difficult than expected to turn them around.
“If you want to keep four (regions), you have to put your money where your mouth is. If we hadn’t done it, there wouldn’t have been a team there now.
“At the time, we said it would take three to five years to build. Two years in, I wouldn’t say we are on track. I think we have found it tougher than we might have thought.
“In an ideal world, someone else would run it properly funded, but we are not at that point yet, so in the meantime we will do everything we can to try and help.
“Any of the other regions that loses money, the benefactor picks it, whereas with the Dragons we write the cheque.
“The key thing in the next period of time is the coaching team and then they have got to start winning games. If they do that, I know the market is there,” insisted Phillips.
The results of the Dragons have worsened since they were bought out by the WRU in the summer of 2017.
They have won just six of their 24 matches in the PRO14 and the European Challenge Cup this season.
The Dragons failed to make the knockout stage in Europe and are propping up Conference B of the PRO14 behind South African franchise Southern Kings.
They are already assured of being Wales’ worst finisher in 16 league championships for an astonishing 12th time.
The WRU jettisoned ex-Wales captain Jones as coach and appointed former Ireland and Connacht hooker Bernard Jackman, who had been sacked by French Top 14 club Grenoble following a player revolt over changes he had made.
But, despite the Dragons producing a talented crop of youngsters and having had a record six players – Ross Moriarty, Cory Hill, Elliot Dee, Aaron Wainwright, Leon Brown and Tyler Morgan – in the Wales match-day 23 for last autumn’s Wales demolition of Tonga, results have been hugely disappointing.
Jackman got the chop last December , just weeks after firing defence coach Marnitz and having served a two-match suspension after being found guilty of breaking the WRU’s code of conduct with his outburst at referee Ian Davies’ display in the wake of the Dragons losing to neighbours Cardiff Blues.
Ceri Jones has been filling in as caretaker coach but they have only managed to post two wins under the former Wales prop.
And there’s still no sign of a permanent successor to Jackman. Wales defence chief Shaun Edwards withdrew from a plan for him to be interim boss until the end of the season, despite chairman and minority shareholder Buttress’s pledge to find and employ a world-class coach.
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