THE Rodney Parade fixture pile-up has worsened because of Newport Gwent Dragons’ postponed RaboDirect Pro12 encounter with Edinburgh.

Newport County already have five League Two fixtures to play following failed pitch inspections, Newport RFC need to rearrange their Premiership derby against Cross Keys and now the Dragons are left looking at the diary for a free date.

Sunday’s game was postponed on Saturday morning when Cardiff-based referee Neil Hennessy deemed that there was no chance of the game being played, that early decision saving Edinburgh from travelling down.

After being knocked out of the LV= Cup and Europe, the region have five available weekends before the season ends with a home encounter against Treviso on May 10 but none of them are completely free.

  • On the weekend of February 28: County host Scunthorpe on the Saturday
  • On the weekend of March 7: Newport RFC host Neath on the Saturday (Wales head to England on Sunday)
  • On the weekend of March 14: County host Exeter on the Sunday (Wales host Scotland on the Saturday)
  • On the weekend of April 4: Newport RFC host Pontypridd on the Saturday
  • On the weekend of April 26: Newport RFC host Llandovery on the Saturday.

Fitting games around the Black and Ambers is not too problematic but there are added complications – the Edinburgh game was meant to be televised, they are not able to have a fixture clash with European fixtures on the weekend of April 26 and their Scottish visitors already have their derby against Glasgow to fit into their schedule.