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<i>RcNAC72</i>, a key transcription factor that may respond to drought stress in <i>Rosa chinensis</i> ‘Old Blush’, was selected in our previous study. In the present study, we found that <i>RcNAC72</i> is localized in the nucleus and is a transcriptional activator. <i>RcNAC72</i> expression could be significantly induced by drought, low temperature, salt as well as abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. Analysis of the promoter revealed that multiple abiotic stress and hormone response elements were located in the promoter region. The promoter could respond to drought, low temperature, salt and ABA treatments to activate GUS gene expression. Overexpressing <i>RcNAC72</i> in Arabidopsis thaliana enhanced sensitivity to ABA and tolerance to drought stress. Silencing of <i>RcNAC72</i> by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in rose leaves significantly reduced leaf water loss tolerance and leaf extension capacity. Physical interaction of <i>RcNAC72</i> with <i>RcDREB2A</i> was shown by means of the yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays. <i>RcABF4</i> was demonstrated to be able to bind to the promoter of <i>RcNAC72</i> by means of the yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) assay. These results provide new insights into the regulatory network of <i>RcNAC72</i> response to drought stress in roses.