Sir Terry Matthews considering Dragons buyout

One of Wales' richest men Sir Terry Matthews has told ITV News he will "think about" a possible takeover of the Newport Gwent Dragons following the region being put up for sale earlier this month.

The Dragons board, which includes Sir Terry’s son, voted through plans to offer the region on the open market in April in a bid to turnaround their fortunes both on and off the field.

As part of the sale the region’s current Chairman Martin Hazell and 50% owners the Welsh Rugby Union have agreed to make their shareholding available without any sale value, effectively making the purchase debt free. That is despite Hazell investing several millions of pounds into the outfit since taking charge.

But any prospective buyer will have to convince the current hierarchy that they have an effective business model and funds to take the organisation forward, limiting the pool of Welsh-based buyers that could practically take over.

Any takeover would also require the new owner to adhere to a number of clauses imposed by the current owners including keeping the side’s home ground at Rodney Parade.

When asked whether he would be interested in taking over the Dragons he told ITV “I’ll think about it” - an answer that will whet the appetite of the region’s fans.

Matthews’ interests have, so far, been limited to golf in the area and was the driving force behind the successful bid to bring the Ryder Cup to his Celtic Manor resort in 2010.