Rafi Quirk: Newcastle Red Bulls sign Scrum-half Sale Sharks

“I want to be part of that new story, and I look forward to bringing my energy and attacking mentality to a club that deserves to shake up the old system of rugby for fans in the North East.”

Quirke’s two England caps have come so far in 2021, but he was part of the squad that featured in international matches in the autumn of last year and was also in the January encounter earlier this month.

Energy drinks company Red Bull took over Newcastle in the summer and they have already begun rebuilding their squad, with this season’s arrivals including Wales and British and Ireland Lions full-back Liam Williams, former Wasps and Gloucester winger Christian Wade and Argentine half-back Simon Benitez Cruz.

After a losing start to the season, their form has improved in recent weeks, with the Red Bulls winning four of their past six matches in all competitions.

The results helped the club progress to the knockout stages of the European Challenge Cup, and also recorded their first win in the Prem since 2024 when they beat Gloucester 25-19 in their first league match of the new year.