Peace breaks out in Welsh regions

Newport Gwent Dragons have become the fourth and final region to sign up to the five-year participation agreement drawn up by Welsh Rugby Union (WRU).

The wide-ranging charter covers such issues as a 32-game limit for Test stars, WRU input into regional coaching appointments, training schedules and a restriction to two non-Welsh qualified players per squad.

But the so-called 'peace deal' hint a snag when the Dragons refused to sign on the dotted line due to concerns over the small print.

The WRU had withheld funding during the dispute, and club directors Martyn Hazell and Tony Brown have financed the financial shortfall - the Dragons are now due several months of back payments.

One stumbling block had been whether the Dragons should be financed as a stand alone or a combined region.

Last season, the Dragons, the Ospreys and the now-disbanded Celtic Warriors received a bigger share of central funds than the stand-alone pair (Blues and Scarlets), having been formed out of club partnerships.

But the WRU charter had decreed that the Dragons were set to receive the same amount of money - about £1.67m ($3m) - as the Blues and Scarlets, while the Ospreys were due to get nearly £2m ($3.6m).

As a region formed by the union of two clubs, Ebbw Vale and Newport, the Dragons were originally promised more funds than stand-alone sides Cardiff and Llanelli - but the WRU see the Dragons as a stand-alone team since Ebbw Vale pulled out.

All four regions are now expected to receive the same level of central funding.

Another area of concern had been over the limit on oversea players.

The WRU had wanted a maximum of two foreign players allowed but there will now be flexibility in certain cases.

The definition of a foreign rugby player is one who is not entitled to European Union working rights.

Fortunately for the Dragons - whose squad has one of the highest number of non-Welsh qualified players - South Africans and Pacific Islanders usually have EU working rights.