2025–26 Dragons RFC season
| 2025–26 season | |||
| Head coach | Filo Tiatia (interim) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| President | David Wright | ||
| |||
The 2025–26 season will be the Dragons RFC's fifth season in the United Rugby Championship, and their 24th season of professional representative rugby. Along with competing in the URC and its Welsh Shield competition, the club will also participate in the European Rugby Challenge Cup.
United Rugby Championship
Matches
| 26 September 2025 | (1 BP) Ulster | 42 – 21 | Dragons | Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast | |
| 20:05 | Try: Izuchukwu 12' Timoney 28' McCann 34' Z. Ward 36' Doak 42' Stewart 80+3' Con: Doak (5) 13' 29' 34' 38' 43' Flannery 80+4' |
Report[1] | Try: Wainwright 0' Rosser 16' Lewis-Hughes 49' Con: De Beer (3) 2' 17' 50' |
Attendance: 9,563[2] Referee: Colby Griffin |
| 3 October 2025 | Dragons | 17 – 17 | Sharks | Rodney Parade, Newport | |
| 20:05 | Try: Wainwright 15' O'Brien 26' Con: de Beer (2/2) 16', 27' Pen: de Beer (1/1) 66' Cards: Coleman 73' |
Report[3] | Try: Orie 8' Tshituka 38' Con: J. Smith (2/2) 9', 39' Pen: J. Smith (1/1) 19' |
Attendance: 4 889 [4] Referee: Filippo Russo |
| 11 October 2025 | (1 BP) Glasgow Warriors | 49 – 0 | Dragons | Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow | |
| 17:30 | Try: Steyn (10') Horne (25', 62') Brown (43') Hiddleston (47') Matthews (67') Con: Hastings (11', 26', 43', 48') Horne (62') Lancaster(68') |
Report | Cards: Dyer 80'+1 | Attendance: 6,802 |
| 17 October 2025 | (1 BP) Dragons | 17 – 24 | Cardiff (1 BP) | Rodney Parade, Newport | |
| 19:45 | Try: Coghlan (7') Carter (72') Con: de Beer (8', 73') Pen: O'Brien (80') |
Report Scoreboard |
Try: Mann (2') Faletau (14') Dan Thomas(20') Southworth (61') Con: Sheedy (14') Ben Thomas (62') |
Attendance: 7,483[5] Referee: Federico Vedovelli |
| 25 October 2025 | Dragons | 19 – 19 | Ospreys | Rodney Parade, Newport | |
| 17:30 | Try: R Williams (38' c) Coghlan (60' c) Burrows (76' m) Con: de Beer (40', 61') |
Report | Try: Deaves (15' m) Cokanasiga (20' c) Hopkins (46' c) Con: Edwards (20', 47') Cards: Kasende 80' |
Attendance: 5,511[6] Referee: Ben Breakspear |
| 28 November 2025 | Dragons | 10–24 | Leinster (1 BP) | Rodney Parade, Newport | |
| 19:45 | Try: Screech (31' c) Con: de Beer(32') Pen: O'Brien(47') |
Report | Try: Soroka (4' m) Kenny (44' c, 59' m) Snyman (78' c) Con: Byrne (45', 79') Cards: Mangan 29' to 39' Penny 38' to 48' McGrath 80' to f.t.' |
Attendance: 4,244[7] Referee: Morne Ferreira |
| 20 December 2025 | (1 BP) Dragons | 48 – 28 | Connacht (1 BP) | Rodney Parade, Newport | |
| 19:45 | Try: Burrows 17' c Hope (2) 25' c, 61' c Rosser 32' c penalty try 40'+4 Dyer 51' c Con: O'Brien (5/5) 18', 26', 33', 52', 62' Pen: O'Brien (2/2) 43' , 46' |
Report | Try: Gilbert 0' c Prendergast (2) 66' c, 74' c Jansen 80+2' c Con: Gilbert (4) 1', 67', 75', 80+3' Cards: Boyle 40'+5 |
Attendance: 4,188 Referee: Ruairidh Campbell (SRU) |
| 26 December 2025 | Cardiff | 22 – 19 | Dragons (1 BP) | Cardiff Arms Park | |
| 15:00 | Try: Sebastian 20' c Mann 30' m J Adams 47' c Con: Sheedy (2) 21', 48' Pen: Sheedy 70' Cards: McNally 78' |
Report | Try: Hope (2) 7' m, 32' c penalty try 78' Con: O'Brien, 32' Cards: Keddie 57' |
Attendance: 12,125 Referee: Adam Jones (WRU) |
| 1 January 2026 | (1 BP) Dragons | 28 – 5 | Scarlets | Rodney Parade, Newport | |
| 15:00 | Try: de Beer 8' c Burrows 43' c Richards 48' c Roberts 75' Con: O'Brien (4/4) 9', 55' 49' 78' Cards: Cuckson 23' |
Report | Try: Mee 35' m Cards: Douglas 42' |
Attendance: 8,369[8] Referee: Ben Connor (WRU) |
| 23 January 2026 | Munster | 22 – 20 | Dragons (1 BP) | Musgrave Park, Cork | |
| 19:45 | Try: Gleeson 39' c Coombes (2) 57' m, 65' c Con: Butler (2/3) 40', 66' Pen: Butler 75' |
Report | Try: Coghlan 17' c Richards 53' c Con: O'Brien (2/2) 18', 54' Pen: O'Brien (2) 11', 30' Cards: Beddall 19' |
Attendance: 8,422 Referee: Hollie Davidson (SCO) |
| 31 January 2026 | Ospreys | 19 – 13 | Dragons (1 BP) | Brewery Field, Bridgend | |
| 19:45 | Try: Morgan-Williams 33' c Lloyd 74' m Giles 80' c Con: Walsh (2/3) 34', 80+1' |
Report | Try: de Beer 18' c Con: O'Brien 19' Pen: O'Brien (2) 47', 58' Cards: Diamani 73' |
Attendance: 5,281 Referee: Ben Connor (Wales) |
| 28 February 2026 | Dragons | v | Benetton | Rodney Parade | |
| 17:30 |
| 21 March 2026 | Stormers | v | Dragons | TBC | |
| 17:30 |
| 28 March 2026 | Lions | v | Dragons | Emirates Airline Park | |
| 14:30 |
| 17 April 2026 | Dragons | v | Bulls | Rodney Parade | |
| 19:45 |
| 24 April 2026 | Zebre Parma | v | Dragons | Stadio Lanfranchi | |
| 19:45 |
| 9 May 2026 | Dragons | v | Edinburgh | Rodney Parade | |
| 19:45 |
| 16 May 2026 | Scarlets | v | Dragons | Parc y Scarlets | |
| 17:15 |
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glasgow Warriors | 12 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 320 | 170 | +150 | 47 | 23 | 7 | 2 | 45 | Qualifies for home URC quarter-final; Qualification for the 2026–27 Champions Cup |
| 2 | Ulster | 13 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 371 | 274 | +97 | 53 | 38 | 7 | 3 | 42 | |
| 3 | Stormers | 12 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 316 | 204 | +112 | 39 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 41 | |
| 4 | Leinster | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 308 | 242 | +66 | 45 | 32 | 8 | 1 | 41 | |
| 5 | Cardiff | 13 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 247 | 250 | −3 | 36 | 35 | 5 | 3 | 40 | Qualifies for URC quarter-final; Qualification for the 2026–27 Champions Cup |
| 6 | Munster | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 248 | 225 | +23 | 36 | 30 | 5 | 2 | 39 | |
| 7 | Bulls | 13 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 363 | 309 | +54 | 54 | 44 | 6 | 1 | 35 | |
| 8 | Connacht | 13 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 315 | 312 | +3 | 43 | 44 | 7 | 4 | 35 | |
| 9 | Lions | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 325 | 342 | −17 | 43 | 50 | 5 | 2 | 33 | Qualification for the 2026–27 Challenge Cup |
| 10 | Ospreys | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 260 | 273 | −13 | 39 | 42 | 4 | 1 | 29 | |
| 11 | Sharks | 12 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 256 | 333 | −77 | 38 | 43 | 5 | 1 | 24 | |
| 12 | Edinburgh | 12 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 238 | 253 | −15 | 37 | 39 | 3 | 4 | 23 | |
| 13 | Benetton | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 216 | 281 | −65 | 25 | 37 | 2 | 1 | 23 | |
| 14 | Scarlets | 13 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 242 | 311 | −69 | 34 | 44 | 1 | 2 | 21 | |
| 15 | Dragons | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 227 | 286 | −59 | 29 | 43 | 2 | 4 | 20 | |
| 16 | Zebre Parma | 13 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 214 | 401 | −187 | 29 | 57 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
Updated to match(es) played on 14 March 2026. Source: UnitedRugby.com
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won 2) The difference between points for and points against 3) The number of tries scored 4) The most points scored 5) The difference between tries for and tries against 6) The fewest red cards received 7) The fewest yellow cards received.[9]
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won 2) The difference between points for and points against 3) The number of tries scored 4) The most points scored 5) The difference between tries for and tries against 6) The fewest red cards received 7) The fewest yellow cards received.[9]
| |||||||||||||||||
| Welsh Shield | |||||||||||||||||
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TBP | LBP | Pts | Pos overall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ospreys | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 99 | 73 | +26 | 15 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 10 | |||
| 2 | Cardiff | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 85 | 90 | -5 | 13 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 5 | |||
| 3 | Dragons | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 94 | 89 | +5 | 13 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 15 | |||
| 4 | Scarlets | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 45 | 69 | -24 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 14 | |||
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:[10]
| |||||||||||||||||
| Green background indicates teams currently leading the regional shield. Upon the conclusion of the regular season, these teams win their respective regional shields. (S) : URC Shield champion | |||||||||||||||||
European Challenge Cup
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benetton (2) | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 182 | 89 | +93 | 24 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 19 | Home round of 16 |
| 2 | Newcastle Red Bulls (6) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75 | 78 | −3 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 13 | |
| 3 | Dragons (13) | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 96 | 148 | −52 | 14 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 9 | Away round of 16 |
| 4 | Perpignan (16) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 111 | 107 | +4 | 14 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| 5 | Lions | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 90 | 93 | −3 | 11 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| 6 | Lyon | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 87 | 126 | −39 | 13 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Source: EPCR[11]
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won; 2) Difference between points for and against; 3) Total number of points for; 4) Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams; 5) Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled.
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won; 2) Difference between points for and against; 3) Total number of points for; 4) Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams; 5) Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled.
Pool matches
| 7 December 2025 | (1 BP) Perpignan | 41–17 | Dragons | Stade Aime Giral, Perpignan | |
| 14:00 | Try: Hall 12' c Diaby 28' c Joseph 50' m Chinarro 59' m Le Corvec 76' c Con: Kretchmann (2/4) 13', 29' Aprasidze (1/1) 77' Pen: Kretchmann (1/2) 45' Cards: Carter 71' |
Report | Try: Westwood 55' c Austin (2) 64' m, 82' m Con: O'Brien (1/3) 55' Cards: Paia'aua 15' |
Attendance: 6,215 Referee: Federico Vedovelli (Italy) |
| 14 December 2025 | Dragons | 23–21 | Lyon (1 BP) | Rodney Parade, Newport | |
| 15:15 | Try: Keddie 65' m Burrows 73' m Keddie 78' m Con: O'Brien (1/3) 79' Pen: O'Brien (2/3) 10', 25' Cards: J. Rosser 22' de Beer 56' |
Report | Try: Roux 31' c Mathiron 43' c Maalo 56' c Con: Cassang (2/2) 32', 44' Gonzalez (1/1) 57' Cards: Maraku 72' |
Attendance: 4,028 Referee: Filippo Russo (Italy) |
| 10 January 2026 | (1 BP) Benetton | 74–21 | Dragons | Stadio Comunale di Monigo, Benetton | |
| 18:30 | Try: Izekor 14' c Ratave 18' c Fekitoa 33' m Odogwu (2) 37' m, 55' c Umaga (2) 40' c, 64' c Lynagh (2) 51' m, 67' c Marin (2) 75' c, 80+2' c Con: Umaga (8/11) 15', 19', 41', 56', 65', 68', 75', 80+3' Pen: Umaga (1/1) 3' |
Report | Try: Burrows 29' c Dyer 58' c Lewis-Hughes 78' c Con: de Beer (2/2) 30', 59' J. Lloyd (1/1) 78' |
Attendance: 3,754 Referee: Benoit Rousselet (France) |
| 16 January 2026 | (1 BP) Dragons | 35 – 12 | Newcastle Red Bulls | Rodney Parade, Newport | |
| 20:00 | Try: Dyer (2) 30’ c, 53' c Coghlan 47’ c penalty try 68' Richards 78’ c Con: O'Brien (4/4) 31', 48', 54', 79' |
Report | Try: Benitez Cruz, 34' Wade 36' Con: Ethan Grayson (1/2) 37' Cards: Hodgson 46' Gordon 67' Parsons 68' |
Attendance: 5,296 Referee: Christopher Allison (South Africa) |
Knockout stage
Dragons qualified for the round of sixteen when they confirmed a third place finish in Pool 2 in Round 4 with a 35-12 victory over Newcastle Red Bulls. As the third place team with the lowest points total, they are seeded thirteenth, earning an away tie in the last sixteen against French giants, Stade Francais.
| Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Montpellier | ||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Perpignan | ||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Connacht | ||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Sharks | ||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Stade Français | ||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Dragons | ||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Zebre Parma | ||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Pau | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Benetton | ||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Cardiff | ||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Exeter Chiefs | ||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Munster | ||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Ulster | ||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Ospreys | ||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Newcastle Red Bulls | ||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | La Rochelle | ||||||||||||||||||
- Round of 16
References
- ^ Peter Lockhart, "Ulster fight back to score six tries on opening night after disastrous start against Dragons", Belfast Telegraph, 26 September 2025
- ^ "Match Report | Ulster 42-21 Dragons", Ulster Rugby, 26 September 2025
- ^ James, Ben. "Dragons 17-17 Sharks report". Wales Online. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ "Dragons draw after dramatic finale". Dragons RFC. 3 October 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ "Dragons 17 Cardiff 24". South Wales Argus. 17 October 2025. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
- ^ Websites - 3bit.co.uk, We Build. "Dragon News : Burrows late try seals comeback draw". dragonsrfc.wales. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Websites - 3bit.co.uk, We Build. "Dragon News : Brave Dragons denied late on by Leinster". dragonsrfc.wales. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Scarlets defeated in New Year's clash". Scarlets Rugby. 1 January 2026. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
- ^ "Competition rules – United Rugby Championship". United Rugby Championship. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
- ^ League Format (3) "Competition Rules". United Rugby Championship. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "Pool Tables | EPCR Challenge Cup". European Professional Club Rugby. Retrieved 2 July 2024.