Ben Carter and Angus O'Brien retain Dragons RFC co-captaincy for third straight URC season

Ben Carter and Angus O’Brien will lead Dragons RFC into the 2026/27 United Rugby Championship season as co-captains, the Newport-Gwent club confirmed, extending a dual-leadership arrangement that has now run for three consecutive campaigns.

Head coach Filo Tiatia was unequivocal about his reasons for retaining the pairing. “Both are good men and good leaders. They love the region, are from the region, and they’re clear on their identity. They are Gwent men and they keep it simple, that’s why they’ll be leading the group again,” he said. Tiatia added that consistency within the two-captain model was a deliberate structural choice, with both players keen to develop their leadership beyond matchday.

Carter, 25, has made 83 appearances for the club since his debut in November 2020 and holds 21 Wales caps, having featured in the squad for the inaugural Nations Championship. The lock said he was “really chuffed” to be asked again and pointed to the settled nature of the squad as a platform for progress. “We’ve got a lot of experience in the group now. We have consistency from the squad from last year, which is good, and we’ve all got a good relationship and are looking forward to another season of building.”

O’Brien, 31, brings even greater Dragons longevity to the role. The Caerleon-born fly-half has made 128 appearances across eight seasons at the club, accumulating 559 points. He acknowledged that last season showed growth but stressed the group has set itself new, specific targets for the year ahead. “We know we have to improve, to get where we want to be, and everyone’s just excited to get started now,” he said.

Supporting the two captains in a broader senior leadership group are Harrison Keddie, Aneurin Owen, Matthew Screech and Thomas Young. Tiatia said the captains’ role was to “elevate the group together and demand more from them” as the club pursues ambitions it has not yet made public.