The Dragons have blocked their captain Colin Charvis from joining Wales’ pre-South Africa tour training camp.

Wales coach Warren Gatland sent for the veteran back-row after the injury withdrawals of Martyn Williams, Alix Popham and Robin Sowden-Taylor.

Dragons coach Paul Turner confirmed: “We had a message asking if we would release Colin with a view to going on tour but I couldn’t, he’s our captain.”

But flanker Charvis could link up with Wales once the Dragons’ season is over.

The 35-year-old forward will lead the Dragons for Tuesday’s Magners League Welsh derby against the Ospreys at Rodney Parade before the region welcome champions Leinster on Friday.

Gatland requested Charvis’ release for Wales’ training camp in Ireland on Sunday but Turner refused.

“It was a difficult decision to make,” Turner told BBC Sport Wales. “We try to produce regional players to play for our country. That is my job as well as trying to drive this region forward and get results.

“We released Andy Williams and Rhys Thomas to Wales last week, but Colin is the captain here and it’s an important week for us.

“I spoke to Wales team manager Alan Phillips and they understood - or I hope they understood - and Colin can certainly be available to tour South Africa.

“He’s been great for us, but it’s only been two months since Wales informed him they were looking at younger players and I wouldn’t have thought a lot has changed.

“But obviously Wales have injuries and Colin’s experience and wherewithal would be vital in South Africa, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Charvis is Wales’ most capped forward, with 94 Tests, and the leading try-scoring forward in international rugby, with 22.

The Dragons faced the Ospreys on Tuesday night and Leinster on Friday night, both at home.

Turner’s side need one more point to be sure of finishing above Connacht and securing a Heineken Cup place.

English rugby side Bristol are set to play at Newport Gwent Dragons’ Rodney Parade ground for the next two seasons.

The Guinness Premiership side’s Memorial Stadium is being redeveloped and BBC Wales understands the Welsh Rugby Union has approved the idea.

The move could be confirmed on Thursday and if it goes ahead Bristol will play their home games primarily on Sundays.

If there are no hitches Bristol will play their last final home match at the Mem against Worcester on Saturday.

The game will also be a final farewell to several Bristol players including veteran prop and former Scotland international Dave Hilton.  606: DEBATE
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The 37-year-old made his Bristol debut in 1989 before leaving in 1992 to join Glasgow and returning in 2003.

Bristol coach Richard Hill said: “Saturday will be an emotional occasional as we bid farewell to the ‘Mem’ in its current guise.

“A few of the boys who have been with us through thick and thin over the past few seasons are leaving us at the end of the current campaign and, of course, the likes of Dave Hilton are hanging up their boots at long last. 
The new Memorial Stadium will be an 18,500 all-seater stadium

Bristol City Council approved plans for the £36m redevelopment which will turn Bristol’s ground into an 18,500 all-seater stadium in April.

The new ground will include student flats, a hotel and gym and will be shared between Bristol Rugby and Bristol Rovers Football Club.

While the rugby club seem to be on the verge of playing their games in Wales as part of a cross-border move, Rovers are in discussion with Swindon Town and Yeovil Town about playing at either of their grounds.

Rodney Parade is also due to be redeveloped from 2009 onward but the Dragons have been assured they don’t need to vacate their ground while the £40m facelift takes place.

Edinburgh held on for a draw at Rodney Parade after weathering a second-half onslaught by the Newport Gwent Dragons.

Ben Cairns gave Edinburgh a great start with an incisive run after eight minutes that took the 22-year-old over the try line, Phil Godman converting.

A Godman penalty gave the Scots a 10-0 lead, but the Dragons then took charge.

Richard Fussell replied with a try and Aled Thomas kicked the Welsh level, before Joe Bearman was just denied a winning try in the final seconds.

Heavy rain and a fierce wind promised to make mischief with both side’s handling, but perversely the opening score was a slick backs move.

Cairns had been handed the captain’s armband for Edinburgh’s trip south and he soon laid down an example for his team-mates to follow.

The young centre cut a great angle to scythe through the Dragons midfield, helped by some powder-puff tackling from Ceri Sweeney and Martyn Thomas, and lope away to the line.

Godman added the conversion and then a penalty to give Edinburgh a 10-0 lead with just 15 minutes played.

Further woe for the Dragons arrived when Sweeney took a heavy knock to his shoulder and was forced off, with Aled Thomas coming on to take over at fly-half.

The home side needed some inspiration and it came in the form of Bearman, the burly back-row who picked and drove to punch great holes in the Scottish line.

Once the Dragons pack gave their backs the semblance of a platform a home try soon followed.

Ashley Smith dinked through a delicate grubber-kick and Fussell just beat the Edinburgh cover to dot the ball down, Aled Thomas adding the extras.

Edinburgh lost Nick De Luca to injury just before half-time, the centre damaging an ankle that was soon wrapped in ice but must put in doubt his Six Nations involvement for Scotland against England next week.

Godman missed a penalty for the visitors before the break, not helped by the wet and windy conditions, but Edinburgh still held a 10-7 lead.

Aled Thomas struck a penalty in the 57th-minute to tie the scores, but either side of that kick the physios were being kept busy as the cold and the tackling took its toll.

Both sides went all out for the win in the dying moments, with first Aled Thomas having a snap drop-goal charged down by an Edinburgh rush.

The Scottish defence then harried the Dragons backline so well that the Welsh lost their menacing position on the visitors’ 22, then lost the ball after being repulsed to the half-way line.

It seemed that now Edinburgh would have the chance to snatch the win, only for that man Bearman to intervene once again.

The blind-side ripped the ball clear of a Scottish ruck and then raced away up the right wing.

A match-winning try would have been deserved for his efforts and the Dragons’ territorial dominance, only for another magnificent Scottish tackle - this time from Greig Laidlaw - to deny him.

Newport Gwent Dragons came within a whisker of a shock victory at Perpignan but had to settle for a losing bonus point in their Heineken Cup opener.

Gareth Wyatt scored an early try for the Welsh, but Perpignan led 16-5 at the break through Guilhem Guirado’s try and 11 points kicked by Cedric Rosalen.

Joe Bearman crossed after half-time but Henry Tuilagi replied for Perpignan.

Ceri Sweeney sparked a frantic finale as his late try and conversion brought the Dragons to within four points.

Soon after kick-off the game had to be halted for 10 minutes because of a worrying head injury to the Dragons’ teenage flanker Dan Lydiate.

The youngster was eventually stretchered off by the attending medical staff at the Stade Aime Giral, but regained consciousness in the dressing room and was taken to hospital for tests.

It was the Dragons who were first to find their way over the line through experienced wing Wyatt in the 13th minute, although Rosalen had kicked a penalty for Perpignan.

Full-back Jerome Perical failed to collect Richard Mustoe’s speculative kick up field, and Wyatt pounced to hand the Dragons a 5-3 lead.

Perpignan took the most direct route to strike back within five minutes with a try for Guirado.

The hooker barged over close to the posts, after Rimas Alvarez Kairelis supported Gavin Hume’s initial break, with Rosalen adding the conversion.

Two more penalties from the reliable boot of Rosalen handed Perpignan a 16-5 lead at the break, but again it was the Dragons who started brightest in the second half.

Wales veteran Colin Charvis put them on the front foot; scrum-half Andy Williams kept the attack moving, before Lydiate’s replacement Bearman stormed over on 50 minutes.

Sweeney’s conversion reduced the deficit to four points as the Welsh region threatened a remarkable comeback, with Perpignan short of confidence following a losing start to the French Championship campaign.

But as the Dragons grew in belief, Perpignan’s summer signing Tuilagi delivered a timely boost, the giant Samoa number eight smashing through on the hour to re-establish an 11-point lead.

Indiscipline then cost Perpignan as Scotland star Nathan Hines was singled out when referee Alan Lewis lost patience with his team’s indiscretions and flashed the yellow card on 68 minutes.

That saw the momentum swing back as the Dragons forwards made the most of their extra man to carve out space for Sweeney to cross.

The try and conversion sealed a valuable bonus point, but the Dragons were unable to carve out one last try that would have claimed a famous win.

Newport Gwent Dragons plan to build a new 15,000-capacity ground on the site of their run-down Rodney Parade home.

The £40m development includes a new clubhouse and training facilities and has the backing of Newport City Council and the Welsh Rugby Union.

The proposals also include residential, retail, student and hotel developments on the existing Rodney Parade site, but will be subject to planning permission.

If approved, it is planned to be ready for the start of the 2010/11 season.

Work is expected to begin in 2009 and last for 18 months, finishing before the city hosts the Ryder Cup in October 2010.

Both the Dragons and Newport RFC will have to play away from Rodney Parade during that time, with venues around the region and the city’s football ground being considered.

“This is fantastic news for the Dragons and Newport RFC and for all rugby fans in Gwent,” said the region’s chairman Martyn Hazell.
 
“The famous Rodney Parade ground is going to be transformed into a state-of-the-art stadium with top-class facilities for the players, fans and the greater community.

“This development and management alongside continued strong financial procedures will allow us to attract top players and, more importantly, give the academy players somewhere to aspire to play in and be proud to be a part of.

“The announcement is the next exciting chapter in the life of Rodney Parade, a story that started over 130 years ago as a gift from Lord Tredegar.”

Welsh Rugby Union group chief executive Roger Lewis added: “This will drive the game forward with vigour.

“I have been closely involved in discussions related to the development plans so I know a lot of people have been working extremely hard to ensure this new stadium is built.

“The WRU are discussing a five-year plan of support for the Dragons.”

The development is separate from the plans for a new stadium that were part of a proposed takeover of the Welsh regional side, which collapsed last month after a falling out between the Dragons board and the unidentified consortium.

The interested parties had wanted access to the accounts of the regional side, but Dragons commercial director Gethin Jenkins said the consortium has not yet tabled an acceptable offer that would allow negotiations to advance to that stage.