Energy drink giant Red Bull has completed a takeover deal for Prem Rugby club Newcastle Falcons that will see the struggling side rebranded as the Newcastle Red Bulls.
The Kingston Park club will compete in the English top tier under their new name from next season onwards after the announcement of a long-rumoured deal that brings fresh investment to rugby in the North East.
Semore Kurdi, Newcastle’s owner, announced last autumn that he had put the club up for sale with investors courted into a side that have finished bottom of the Prem in the last three seasons.
First touted as potential bidders earlier this year, Red Bull’s first significant involvement in rugby union is welcome news both for Newcastle and the English game after its own summer rebrand, showing that the league can attract outside investment.
While much of their recruitment for the upcoming season, which begins at the end of September, is already concluded, Newcastle will be expected to invest more in the future after several seasons with a slimmed-down squad.
Existing director of rugby Steve Diamond will remain in charge with the club aiming to compete for trophies domestically and in Europe in the next few seasons.
“Together, we aim to elevate rugby to new heights and deliver unforgettable moments for our fans,” Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull CEO Corporate Projects and Investments, said. “We’re delighted to have acquired Newcastle Red Bulls and look forward to empowering the club to reach its full competitive potential.”
The energy drink brand add Newcastle to a wider sporting portfolio which includes a Formula 1 team and a network of football clubs that includes RB Leipzig and the New York Red Bulls.
The Austrian company has worked with leading players including Springboks captain Siya Kolisi and former England international Jack Nowell in the past, but this is a major uplift in their involvement in rugby union.
Their arrival comes with Prem Rugby, which announced its new identity on the day of a sellout final at Twickenham in May, having engaged the Raine Group and Deloitte to seek ways of attracting further investment and exploring growing the league’s profile, with a franchising model among the options being examined.
A revival of Newcastle, winners of the Premiership in 1998, is seen as a key step in ensuring nationwide interest with the Tyneside club the farthest north of the 10 sides set to compete in the 2025/26 season.
“Red Bull’s takeover of Newcastle is a landmark moment for our sport and a powerful endorsement of our vision and strategy for the future of the Gallagher PREM,” league chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor said.
“We are hugely excited by Red Bull’s ambition for the club, which includes developing the player pathway in the North East and growing the club’s fanbase. Their track record in global sport, from high-performance expertise to world-class marketing, will bring enormous value not only to Newcastle but to the Gallagher PREM as a whole.
“I would like to formally thank Semore Kurdi and Dave Thompson, whose long-standing stewardship and dedication to Newcastle Rugby have been instrumental in paving the way for this transformational deal.
“This investment follows a period of sustained fan growth, alongside foundational deals with TNT Sports, title partners Gallagher and other commercial partners plus the milestone Professional Game Partnership with the RFU, which are all building strength and momentum across the Gallagher PREM and the English game.
“It validates the progress we’ve made, the league’s current standing in the sport and its vast potential, which we are working hard to unlock with further reform so we can take the Gallagher PREM to the next level.
“Red Bull share our ambition to raise standards and we look forward to working together to shape the PREM into a world-leading, globally loved rugby competition.”
