PONTYPOOL RFC corporate director Ben Jeffreys has been taken on in a marketing capacity by Newport Gwent Dragons to “enhance the Dragons brand”.

Widely recognised as one of the driving forces behind Pooler’s recent resurgence since his dad, Peter, helped save the club from bankruptcy in 2012, Mr Jeffreys has been taken on by the Dragons as a commercial and marketing consultant with immediate effect.

He will be responsible for reviewing the internal commercial structure of the organisation, initiating a market research campaign to determine the future direction of the Dragons brand.

But the former Duffryn High School student stressed it will not affect his role with Pooler, where he will remain corporate director and continue performing all duties associated with the position.

“I am thrilled and incredibly grateful to be joining the commercial team of Newport Gwent Dragons,” he said, while adding that connecting with the Gwent region as a whole would be a key part of his remit.

“I am looking forward to working alongside the management team to further enhance the Dragons brand, particularly by maximising commercial effectiveness and developing platforms that aim to embrace and connect with the wider region on a tangible level,” he said.

Mr Jeffreys has played a central role in recent dialogues over a growing disillusionment from grassroots rugby clubs and their fans within the regional set-up in Wales.

He has warned that historic clubs like Pontypool could die out, saying this would have potentially grave implications for regional fan bases and Welsh rugby as a whole.

Newport Gwent Dragons chief executive Gareth Davies said he was “delighted” to welcome him on board. “This appointment will assist us in plotting and planning the further development of our commercial activities, and will enable us to continue to build and strengthen Newport Gwent Dragons as a region,” he said.