“They can’t just go all foreign and bring in a host of Kiwis and South Africans, so they’re going to make sure that they’re clever,” says Noon.
“I think they’re conscious of trying to get enough quality guys to get through the season, but with a view that actually there’s a long-term project. With a bit more time and patience they can get the guys they want, as opposed to who is available.”
Red Bull’s entry into the Prem marks the end of a year-long search for a buyer for Newcastle.
Early last autumn, long-time club owner Semore Kurdi brought in A&W Capital, specialists in the sale of sports teams, to find someone to take the club on.
It was a pressing concern not just for Kurdi, who has put many millions of his own money into the club since becoming owner in 2011, or Newcastle, but the league as a whole.
After the demise of Worcester Warriors, Wasps and London Irish, another club going under would have reduced the Prem to nine clubs. Each round would involve only four fixtures and the gate receipts and product for broadcasters and sponsors would shrink.
The situation was so stark that earlier this year Sky News reported, external the other Premiership clubs, along with CVC Partners who part-own the league, were prepared to loan Newcastle £4m to keep them upright.
Red Bull’s investment is a vastly preferable option for all involved.
Newcastle’s dire circumstances and Kurdi’s desire to see the club in good hands meant Red Bull could cut a deal with little initial cost beyond taking on responsibility for the club’s £39m debts.
Prem Rugby has been understandably eager to facilitate an acquisition that solves a short-term problem and fits long-term goals.
The league has rebranded from the Premiership to target a younger demographic, one that ties in well with Red Bull’s consumer base.
It also hopes to switch to a franchise model, perhaps as soon as 2026-27, doing away with on-pitch relegation. Such a move would reduce the risk of investing in distressed assets such as Newcastle, something that can spook potential owners.
Even the plan to rename Newcastle Falcons as Newcastle Red Bulls was simple and supported.
Red Bull ran into stiff opposition from the German football federation over their renaming of RB Leipzig in 2009. The RB officially stands for RasenBallsport, rather than the energy drink that bankrolled the team’s rise up the leagues, as a concession to officialdom.
English rugby, which has seen plenty of rebrands and title sponsors since the dawn of professionalism, has no such qualms.
