PONTYPOOL have retained the core of their squad as they attempt to get over their Principality Premiership promotion disappointment by lifting the SSE Swalec Championship trophy in 2017.

Pooler suffered anguish last season when they missed out on a return to the revamped top flight with Merthy, Swansea, Bargoed and RGC 1404 beating them to the places in the 16-team Premiership, which is ring-fenced for three seasons.

However, 24 players have signed on the dotted line to stay with the club next season, including captain and hooker Ben Parry.

He will joined up front by props Will Guy, Joe Popple, Ryan Harford, prop/hooker Jamie Jeune, lock Elliott Ferriman and back row forwards Rob Nash, Gareth Rusby-Davies, Richard Bromley, Ben Sparks, Matthew Thomas and Jordan Williams.

Scrum-halves Rhys Dyer and Aaron Quick and Rhodri Usher, fly-halves Tom Hancock and Sam Mills, centres Sione Tuipolutu, Dan Robinson and Marc Thorley, and back three players Nathan Brooks, Clayton Gullis, Chris Laing and Josh Hurley have also committed to the club.

Head coach Leighton Jones, who succeeded Louie Tonkin earlier this month with former Newport Gwent Dragons fly-half Matthew Jones joining as player-coach, believes it leaves Pooler well placed to get over their disappointment.

"To retain practically the entire squad from last season demonstrates the tight-knit bond that exists between everybody within our rugby club," he said.

"As a group, we were devastated that we fell just short of bringing Principality Premiership rugby back to Pontypool Park but that disappointment has quickly turned to motivation.

"Each and every member of the team very quickly came to the conclusion that they wanted to stay and fight for this club. They want to compete for Championship titles and build something special that will see us return to the Premiership stronger than ever before.

"What Ebbw Vale were able to achieve last Sunday (winning the Premiership) was the culmination of five years' hard graft and we know we have the ability to emulate their achievements, so long as we stick together and keep building momentum.

"We don't just have good players in the dressing room, but have really strong characters too. We are a team in every sense of the word and we are all chomping at the bit to get back on that field and build for next season."

Three men have left the club with prop Garin Harris and lock Derryn Jones moving on and lock Lee Williams retiring from playing.