THE decision has been made and there is no going back on it, the future of Welsh rugby lies in the regions and now is the time for the people of Newport and Gwent to vote with their feet.

Any by that I don't mean continuing to stay away from Rodney Parade, but to come back or join up and support the Dragons.

We've all had enough of the politics now, it's become tiresome and boring. I've fought as hard as any to preserve most of what existed, but just as I switched to support for Steve Hansen after what was achieved in Australia at the World Cup, now I firmly believe is the time to get behind the Dragons.

After all, a deal has been struck, Tony Brown is fully on board again, the matches are being played at Rodney Parade and the name is Newport Gwent Dragons.

That ought to fulfil the wishes of the Newport fans - and for those throughout the county there is a total commitment to the Gwent region as well.

Coach Mike Ruddock, who has done a great job keeping the squad focused to put them up to third in the Celtic League table, is going around the Gwent schools while director Martyn Hazell, who did a load of work brokering the final deal, is also fully committed to the Gwent concept.

So there is no real reason for fans to stay away any more. And they've all got a big game to come this Sunday when previous Heineken Cup winners Ulster visit Rodney Parade for this season's first pool match.

Ulster have Ireland's most capped outside half David Humphreys in their ranks and they also lead the Celtic table.

A Sunday game at 2.30pm should also prove ideal for the fans to show they appreciate the efforts of Ruddock and his team. And there's English and French giants Leicester and Stade Francais to follow at Rodney Parade next month.

After climbing the table in the face of such adversity the Dragons deserve all the support they can get.

There are some diehard Newport fans who still want more, like the black and amber jersey restored as well.

These are ones who will never be satisfied and while I fully supported the presence of the Newport name in the title that has now been achieved.

It's clear the WRU and David Moffett are not going to back down any more, so this is it, it's as far as they're going and there are many points on which the Newport side of the equation have won the day.

To persist in their opposition now and to continue to stay away could have the most dire effect imaginable.

For a start if Newport became a stand alone entity, which the WRU wouldn't allow, it would cost Tony Brown (pictured) another £800,000 over two years, unless those fans with tunnel vision would care to fork it out. They could even be instrumental in closing Rodney Parade down.

Do they realise that if regional rugby is taken from Rodney Parade Newport Rugby Club would no longer have the rent the Dragons bring in?

Take that money away and force Newport to exist and manage purely as a premier division club there is no doubt in my mind that, with their overheads, they would go bust within five years and Rodney Parade would become a building site or a supermarket.

As it is, we were all proud of what Wales achieved in the World Cup and even if last weekend wasn't the best example in terms of results or crowds we have to persist.

After the first weekend of Celtic League action in September I predicted the outcome of it all would be super clubs, and only last week a Gwent chairman, Idris McCarthy of Newbridge, suggested it will end up as four clubs - Newport, Cardiff, Llanelli and Swansea while most would continue to call this region Newport.

That does say a lot - and it comes from someone who has got his finger on the pulse of Gwent rugby.

That may still ultimately prove to be the case, but what I'm saying is people have now got to give regional rugby every chance.

Just as I urged Wales in this column from Australia on October 28 "to grasp the nettle and give it a real blast against New Zealand and England to at least go down with all guns blazing" so I am now encouraging fans Gwent-wide to get out and support the Dragons.

Just as Wales gave it a go, just as the Dragons are giving it a go, now it's up to the supporters to do the same.

Until next week...

Robin Davey