GUINNESS Premiership club Bristol will share Rodney Parade with Newport and Newport Gwent Dragons for the next two seasons, it has been confirmed.

Agreement was reached yesterday and the deal has now been signed, subject to a few minor details being ironed out with the RFU.

It has been forecast in the Argus for the past few weeks while the Memorial Stadium at Bristol is being redevoloped, owners Bristol Rovers (the rugby club rent the ground from them) already agreeing to play at Cheltenham's ground.

It means top English teams like Wasps and Leicester, with a host of world stars, will be playing at Rodney Parade as well as Mike Ruddock's Worcester and West country derbies against Bath and Gloucester.

Dragons chairman Martyn Hazell said: "They are in a difficult position with their ground (Newport and the Dragons do not have to leave while Rodney Parade is being redeveloped) so we are doing our friends from across the bridge a favour.

"We will benefit financially, but that's not the main reason we are doing this. It will bring a buzz to the town with 5,000-6,000 supporters coming over and some top teams and players will be in action here."

On the question of three teams playing on the same pitch, Hazell said: "There used to be five - Newport, the United, the Extras, the under-18s and under-16s, and they trained there as well."

l Gareth Jenkins, linked with a return to Stradey Park after the shock sacking of Phil Davies, had been linked with the Dragons and various posts ranging from team manager to director of rugby.

"I'm not aware of it," said coach Paul Turner. "There's been a lot of changes at the top, a few structures are about to change so there's a lot of jostling for position.

"It's disappointing what has happened there, Phil is a friend of mine, but so are Lyn Jones and Dai Young, there are only four of us.

"Phil is a quality guy and I'm sure he'll reappear at the top level soon."