THE Friends of Newport Rugby will reiterate their concerns about the Black and Ambers selling Rodney Parade to the Welsh Rugby Union when they meet with the governing body tomorrow – and express their fears over the brevity of a potential 10-year lease to stay at their historic home.

The Union are at an advanced stage in their planned takeover of Newport Gwent Dragons that will see them take control of Newport-owned Rodney Parade.

A sale of land at the northern end of Rodney Parade, currently featuring the ‘cabbage patch’ and buildings, could be in the offing with some of the funds used to pay off a portion of the £4.5million loans owed to Dragons and Newport board members Martyn Hazell and Tony Brown.

There have been a number of issues delaying the proposed deal – one of which, the Argus understands, surrounds Newport Squash Club’s long-term lease at the ground – and Newport RFC shareholders will have the final say. There are around 1,000 listed shareholders and 75 per cent of them need to give their approval.

FoNR led a meeting for Black and Ambers supporters and shareholders in the clubhouse on Tuesday evening ahead of talks with WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips and chairman Gareth Davies tomorrow lunchtime.

They will then meet in the afternoon with Stuart Davies, who is chief executive of both Newport and the Dragons.

Their representatives will express their concerns about the Black and Ambers losing their asset to pay off debts that have been built up for the Dragons.

They will also ask why there is the need to sell Rodney Parade rather than leasing it to the WRU, who are owed around £1million. FoNR will also express their serious fears about both rugby teams only being given a lease with the governing body as short as an initial 10 years.

There are concerns about the Black and Ambers being unable to raise income from a Union-owned asset and frustration over a lack of communication with the Newport RFC board.

A variety of potential options were mooted in a positive, cordial meeting – it was stressed at the start that it was to look for a way forward rather than squabbling about the past – with the desire to find a solution best for Newport AND keeping professional rugby in the city.

“The meeting went well and it was great to see so many people with a passion for rugby in general and in particular for Newport,” said FoNR secretary Kev Jarvis.

“There were a lot of old faces there that don’t come any more to see Newport or the Dragons that still care passionately about the direction of where it’s going.

“There’s no doubt there was an overriding massive support for the future of the Newport club and everybody is very concerned about any potential selling of the assets and any risk to the team going forward.

“There was concern about the finances if we are playing at Rodney Parade and don’t own it – how would we generate enough income to keep Newport RFC afloat?

“But there was also a massive positive feeling about trying to continue having pro rugby here at Newport and the majority fully appreciate we need professional rugby here to keep the place afloat.”

There was naturally some conjecture due to the fine details still not being clear.

“We just don’t know enough facts. We have been told things by various sources close to the club that were discussed in the meeting but until we speak to the Union directly and, more importantly, speak to our own board directly then we are still playing a guessing game,” admitted Jarvis.

FoNR will meet with the WRU and then Davies but want to meet with the Black and Ambers board – which is comprised of Hazell, Brown, Will Godfrey, Roly Mason, Jim McCreedy, Dylan Matthews, Ro Kulkarni, Alex James and Dai Watkins.

“We need to speak with the individuals, we need to understand the current debt situations and we need to understand their thought processes moving forward,” said Jarvis.

“Tony and Martyn being the main shareholders and with the main debt being associated with them, but there are other members of that board who are making key decisions that appear also not to want to speak to representatives of the club or shareholders.”

On Tuesday evening, while the FoNR meeting was taking place, Davies told BBC Radio Wales that talks with the WRU are at an advanced stage.

"I hope we would have something in place in the near future,” said the former Wales forward. “But I would hate to put a time frame on it."