THE Dragons have committed to playing a game away from Rodney Parade and at a ground in the region in the coming season.

The region have started selling season tickets for the 2017/18 campaign that include 14 fixtures in Newport, one at Principality Stadium as part of the Judgement Day double-header and another at a ground yet to be decided.

Last season the Dragons were forced to go on the road to Caerphilly when their Guinness PRO12 finale against Cardiff Blues clashed with Newport County’s League Two encounter with Notts County.

The Exiles have primacy of tenure at Rodney Parade as part of Football League rules, meaning Kingsley Jones’ men lost home advantage for their final game of the season.

Caerphilly’s laudable efforts helped make the best of a bad situation but the loss of the biggest derby of the season hit the Dragons in the pocket.

But, as expected, they have committed to playing another competitive fixture – one that won’t be against the Blues, Scarlets or Ospreys – away from Rodney Parade.

That would also take some of the strain off the new £750,000 hybrid Desso pitch that is being laid at the home of the Black and Ambers, Dragons and Exiles.

At this stage an Anglo-Welsh Cup fixture would appear the most likely, although a Guinness PRO12 encounter with an Italian side is another possibility.

The leading options will once again be the three grounds that were visited ahead of the Blues game – Caerphilly, Ebbw Vale’s Eugene Cross Park and Cross Keys’ Pandy Park.

Chief executive Stuart Davies said last month: “The Caerphilly game was very well received, very well delivered and made for a great occasion on the road in the region.

“It’s something that we’d like to replicate and we mustn’t understate how much of a regional perspective we’ve got now in terms of this new era.”

The Dragons dropped Newport and Gwent from their name after being taken over by the governing body and new head coach Bernard Jackman intends to take his squad around the region in the coming weeks.

The Irishman has been putting his charges through their paces in Ystrad Mynach but, as Darren Edwards' side did in 2012 when they trained in Caerphilly, Blaenavon and Abertillery, wants a change of scenery as the hard work continues.

“We need to put our systems in place that will help us create our own game plan and how we want to represent rugby in Gwent with the Dragons,” said Jackman about pre-season.

“We are looking forward to also getting out on the road, getting around the region and taking our training sessions out to local clubs, meeting our fans to create that link and bond between the fans and the team.”

Season tickets will also include entry to Dragons age-grade and ladies fixtures played on the 3G surface of their training base in Ystrad Mynach.

Those renewing can do so now before general sale opens on Thursday with early bird discounts running until Monday, August 8.

Go to https://www.eticketing.co.uk/dragons/ for more information.