NEWPORT Gwent Dragons coach Paul Turner is heading to New Zealand and America with the Wales sevens squad next week as part of his elite coaching development.

But while he is in New Zealand he will be looking at players with a view to being able to bring one or two over to Wales to join the Dragons in time for next season.

Turner says he wants to bring one or two quality signings to Rodney Parade and the board have said the money is available, so he is hoping to be able to attract a player or two from Down Under.

It may well be that the finances will have to be juggled so that as players depart, maybe some on inflated salaries, it will free up money to be able to bring in the overseas players Turner wants.

If he is successful they won't be major All Blacks of the calibre of Luke McAlister, Chris Jack, Carl Hayman or Aaron Mauger, all playing in England, but they could still be highly influential in the way some at the Ospreys and Cardiff Blues are.

On his trip to San Diego and Wellington, Turner said: "I played sevens in the amateur era, but I have wanted to get a first hand insight into modern day international sevens for some time.

"I have been given this opportunity as part of my WRU elite coach development, but I was adamant that this would be purely an observing role.

"It will be great to gain an informed view on why we as regional coaches release our players to the sevens circuit and what they gain in their development from the experience. I hope to learn a lot from the experience and bring this back to the region."

Turner will also be able to watch some of his own young players on the trip, for the Wales squad includes Aled Thomas, James Harris, Lewis Evans and the Lewis twins, Robert and James, all part of the Dragons set-up, and Newport's Nick Wakley.

Meanwhile, senior Dragons back row forward Joe Bearman continues to impress, this time Wales coach Warren Gatland taking notice.

Gatland saw the Dragons live for the first time against Perpignan and though largely unimpressed while aware of the big injury list, he did enquire about Bearman.

Only last week Bearman won the Magners League player-of-the-month award and said he was on the point of signing a new three-year contract with the Dragons while aiming to qualify for Wales.

The 28-year-old Cornishman has 18 months to go before he qualifies on residential grounds, but is quite prepared to go through that process and says he is very happy living in Wales.