NEWPORT Gwent Dragons are set to appoint former Wales back row forward Stuart Davies as their new chief executive.

A contract has not yet been signed - and the region will make no official announcement until it is - but the 50-year-old is poised to replace Gareth Davies, who left to become chairman of the Welsh Rugby Union in November.

Gwent rugby stalwart Jim McCreedy had been holding the fort and regional bosses opted against rushing into an appointment while they have also considered a change of management structure.

Stuart Davies, who was capped 17 times between 1992 and 1998, previously worked for Swansea Council as an environmental health officer and, most recently, as executive director of property development and management at Gwalia Housing.

Gareth Davies spent a year in the role as Dragons and Newport chief executive after succeeding Chris Brown, who was brought in as a trouble-shooter to sort out the finances at Rodney Parade.

The former Lions fly-half was to the fore as Pro Rugby Wales, the body that represents the Dragons, Ospreys, Cardiff Blues and the Scarlets, agreed a fresh six-year rugby services agreement with the Welsh Rugby Union.

He was a key figure in discussions and also gave the Rodney Parade region a media presence with his rugby acumen.

That is something that his namesake Stuart, who made 245 appearances for Swansea over 14 seasons at St Helen’s, also possesses.

Since hanging up his boots in 1998 Davies has been a pundit for the BBC and has written a weekly newspaper column with the South Wales Evening Post.