DAI Flanagan wants the next generation of young Dragons to hit 20 games in the upcoming season with the help of Super Rygbi Cymru.
The Rodney Parade club get their United Rugby Championship campaign under way against the Ospreys on September 21, the weekend after Wales’ top flight starts.
Newport, Ebbw Vale and Pontypool will take part in the inaugural SRC and the Dragons will be using the competition to bridge the gap to professional rugby.
The Gwent trio will liaise with pathway manager Lewis Roberts about using young academy talent, which will be placed according to depth charts and where they are most likely to get game time.
The aim will be to repeat recent success stories after Premiership game time was used to push prospects to the next level.
Centre Joe Westwood and scrum-halves Che Hope and Morgan Lloyd will all hunt URC action this season after featuring regularly in domestic rugby in 2023/24.
The Dragons had eight players who featured in the World Rugby U20 Championship.
Flanker Ryan Woodman is an established first-teamer and unlikely to drop down to the SRC but full-back Huw Anderson, wings Harry Rees-Weldon and Walker Price, fly-half Harri Ford, loosehead Jordan Morris, lock Nick Thomas and number eight Owen Conquer will all be playing regularly.
In addition, the likes of Westwood, Hope, Lloyd, flanker George Young, hooker Sam Scarfe, centre Harri Ackerman and wing Oli Andrew won’t be kicking their heels on the sidelines at weekends.
“I expect 95 per cent of our squad playing each weekend,” said Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan. “We need to get them out there and we will try to find the best homes for players to be playing.”
That also applies for summer signing Oli Burrows, who has arrived from Exeter Chiefs to push Elliot Dee but will also be getting SRC action.
“If he doesn’t break into the first team then we will send him out – he has to play 20 games this season because he hasn’t done that for two years,” said Flanagan.
“Players can train as much as you want but they need to play, ideally 20 to 25 games. We will continue to make a conscious effort to get them out there.”
The Dragons’ youngsters are likely to feature in the first friendly against Hartpury University on Saturday, August 31.
A batch could then be released for club duty with the SRC getting under way a week before the URC.
Pontypool kick off the season on Thursday, September 12 (7.30pm) with a televised home encounter with Premiership champions Llandovery.
Newport host Bridgend on the Saturday while Ebbw Vale welcome Aberavon to Eugene Cross Park.
The Steelmen are on telly, on S4C Chwaraeon's Facebook and YouTube and S4C Clic, for round two when they travel to Cardiff on Thursday, September 19.
The Black and Ambers, fresh from a 106-5 romp against Usk last weekend, enjoy a friendly against Blackheath at Spytty Park this afternoon.
Pooler kick off their preparations with a trip to Dings Crusaders to play round robin fixtures with the hosts and Old Redcliffians.
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