Dragons become first Welsh region to agree deals as seven players sign
- Published
Harrison Keddie made his senior Dragons debut in 2016
Dragons have agreed new contracts with seven players including Ashton Hewitt, Jack Dixon and Elliot Dee.
Harrison Keddie, Ollie Griffiths, Lloyd Fairbrother and Joe Davies have also signed to remain at Rodney Parade.
The deals are the first to be finalised by any of the four Welsh regions after they were cleared to begin re-signing players earlier this month.
However the club has not made any announcement regarding British & Irish Lions back-row Ross Moriarty.
The signing of contracts had been on hold because of financial issues in Welsh rugby.
Lock Matthew Screech has also extended his loan from Cardiff for the entire 2023/24 season.
Dixon, 28, was ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering an ankle injury against Leinster at the beginning of March.
Before the game the centre had spoken out emotionally about player uncertainty over new deals because he was out of contract at the end of the season.
Dixon has made 168 appearances for the Dragons having become the youngest player to make a Welsh regional appearance when he came off the bench at Wasps in 2011, aged just 16 years 313 days.
Hewitt, 28, is another to come through the Dragons academy. The wing made his regional debut in 2013 and has gone on to score 34 tries in 115 appearances.
He has twice been called into the Wales squad, for the 2017 Six Nations and 2018 summer tour, only to be denied a potential cap by injury both times.
Newport-born Wales hooker Dee, 29, has made 141 senior appearances since coming through the ranks at Dragons.
Dee has won 41 caps for Wales, including the 2019 Grand Slam
Fellow academy product Keddie, who plays in the back row, has played 107 Dragons times for the region, with head coach Dai Flanagan describing his 26-year-old captain as the best non-international player he has worked with.
Flanker Griffiths, another born in Newport, has committed for a tenth season at the region and hopes to shake off injury to make his 100th appearance this next month.
Prop Fairbrother, 31, has made 162 Dragons appearances since joining from Exeter Chiefs in 2014.
Lock Davies, 27, is another academy graduate who has gone on to make 114 appearances for his hometown club.
Dragons have not specified the length of contracts the players have signed.
Director of rugby Dai Flanagan revealed last week that Dragons had offered new contracts to 12 players, including Wales forward Moriarty.