Brown's return as Dragons director has angered Ebbw Vale

Ebbw Vale are considering withdrawing from Welsh Premiership fixtures against Newport (they are due to meet this Saturday) in protest at the latest move.

Brown rejoined the Dragons' board on Tuesday, where he will work alongside Newport's Martyn Hazell.

Marcus Russell, Ebbw's principal shareholder, resigned as director in July and has yet to appoint a successor to represent the Steelmen.

Russell claims that he has written to Hazell nominating his brother Paul Russell as the Ebbw Vale director for the Dragons, but this is disputed by the Newport man.

"When Ebbw Vale notify me that they require to put a member on the board I will be happy to accommodate them but there is no-one at the club to contact because it is not manned. It's dead there," Hazell told the South Wales Argus.

A furious Marcus Russell retorted: "The fact that myself and other Ebbw Vale shareholders first heard of Tony Brown's 'appointment' as a director of Gwent Rugby through the local press and not through the company speaks volumes about the way Ebbw Vale are regarded by Martyn Hazell.

"Newport having two directors and Ebbw Vale prevented from having one? What's it all about?

"There is no way that we are going to go down to Rodney Parade on Saturday and pretend that everything is lovey-dovey when all this is going on.

"One option we have is to wind our half of the company up."

Newport say that they expect Ebbw Vale to fulfil Saturday's Welsh Premiership fixture.