HARTPURY were handed a difficult pre-season test as they fell to an 81-12 defeat against United Rugby Championship side Dragons at Rodney Parade.

The Gloucestershire side travelled to Newport on Saturday, September 5 as preparations continued for their forthcoming Championship campaign.

Hartpury faced a Dragons side preparing for another season in the top tier of professional rugby and the hosts demonstrated the difference in levels by running in 13 tries.

The contest was effectively beyond Hartpury by half-time after Dragons raced into a 38-0 lead.

However, Hartpury responded after the break and got themselves on the scoreboard through Crane, who crossed for their opening try in the 44th minute.

James added the conversion.

Dragons continued to add to their advantage but Hartpury found a second try in the 64th minute, with Crane again getting over the line.

The Welsh side eventually completed an emphatic 81-12 victory, with Brogan Leary and Ere Enari among several players to score during the second half.

Despite the scoreline, the fixture provided Hartpury with the opportunity to test themselves against URC opposition ahead of the competitive season.

It was the third pre-season meeting between the two sides in recent years.

Dragons had also won when they travelled to the Hartpury Stadium in September 2025, recording a 45-12 victory on that occasion.

The latest meeting represented another significant step up in opposition for Hartpury as the club builds towards its Championship campaign.

For Dragons, the match was their opening pre-season fixture and provided an opportunity to use a large number of their squad.

Hartpury will now look to take lessons from the demanding afternoon in Newport as preparations continue for the new season.

The Gloucestershire side at least showed greater attacking threat after the interval, scoring twice, but were unable to prevent Dragons pulling further clear.