NEWPORT Gwent Dragons will benefit from increased investment following a new four-year sponsorship deal which means the old Magners League will be known as the RaboDirect PRO 12.

Rabobank is a Dutch co-operative bank with over 75,000 customers in Ireland alone and they replace Magners who pulled out at the end of the season.

The Dragons, along with the other 11 teams in the competition will benefit from the new deal and the building of a new stand and hospitality suite and boxes is timely as a result.

“The Dragons’ new stand is an opportunity for them to revitalise their support and bring a partnership to the team,” said David Jordan, Celtic Rugby director.

“The Scarlets are also doing a great job of going out into the community, Ulster are about to embark on a redevelopment plan and Leinster are also redeveloping the RDS - they wouldn’t all be doing that if they weren’t part of something credible.”

RaboDirect also sponsor the Melbourne Rebels Super 15 team plus the Rabobank ProTeam and the Tour of Italy and California in cycling, the Dutch national hockey team and the Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation.

“We were looking for new sponsorship and we have secured a global brand who have a strong pedigree in sports,” said Jordan.

“Five years ago this competition lacked credibility, but since then it’s been a fantastic success with teams winning the Heineken Cup and the playoff (between Munster and Leinster) was sold out last month so we’ve moved on considerably.

“We’re now in a place where we can attract a global brand which will make a huge difference to the way we can move forward.

“There is an attacking dynamic about us whereas a league implies a grinding out and even if you lose players during the season you will get them for the playoff. The Italians give it a wider operation and a more exotic feel.”

Looking to where the competition might be by the completion of the new deal, Jordan said, “We’d like to see the PRO 12 to be taken more seriously outside our own territory and I’d like to see us in a position where we can attract a network TV partner.

“Six years ago we didn’t have a sponsor, the Irish didn’t use it as Heineken qualification so our strategy was to get a brand name.

“We did that with Magners and with structural changes we’ve got a hugely credible competition (three of the last four Heineken Cup have been won by Celtic teams).

“Audience figures are in excess of 10m and if you’d have said that six years ago people would have laughed. There’s no reason why we can’t go further.

“We’d like to see Welsh and Scottish teams do better, we do want to see them be more competitive, that’s the challenge for the others to get up there.”