Former Wales flanker Gavin Thomas has announced his immediate retirement from the sport.
Thomas, who has 24 Wales caps to his name, has been forced to hang up his boots due to problems in both of his knees. Dragons coach Darren Edwards has paid tribute to the flanker and has admitted that it will be tough to find a replacement for Thomas.
"He was a fantastic all-round player who was great in the contact area and his playmaking skills were second to none." said Edwards. "Gavin came to the region on the back of a serious injury and ended up having three terrific seasons here. That is testament to him as a competitor and a person.
"Gavin would always say to me, 'Don't look at the age on my passport, look at what I do on the pitch'. He was a fantastic player and servant for the Dragons. He was a man of few words in the changing room but he demonstrated to his teammates through his actions. He was a great influence and delivered what he said, and delivered consistently."