Newcastle Red Bulls have signed 24-year-old England scrum-half Raffi Quirke from Sale Sharks on a two-year deal for the 2026-27 season. Quirke, who has two England caps, is the latest addition to Newcastle’s summer rebuild, joining other new signings including All Black Hoskins Sotutu, Josh Hodge, Rusi Tuima, Sam Graham, Elliot Millar-Mills, and Argentina’s Franco Molina.
Quirke said he is excited to join Newcastle, bringing energy and an attacking mindset to help “shake up the old rugby order” for fans in the north-east. Newcastle, recently taken over by Red Bull, have already strengthened with stars like Liam Williams, Christian Wade, and Simon Benitez Cruz.
The team’s form has improved in recent weeks, winning four of their last six matches, advancing to the European Challenge Cup knockouts, and claiming their first Premiership win since 2024 by beating Gloucester 25-19.
