Newcastle's rugby team have returned from a pre-season training camp at Red Bull headquarters in Salzburg, Austria, as the club prepare for their second season under the energy drink company's ownership.
New head coach Dan McFarland took his squad, which includes 26 new players for the 2026-27 campaign, for a week at the Salzburg base earlier this month. The trip and its state-of-the-art facilities were a contrast to the camping trip to the Lake District that former coach Steve Diamond led a year ago.
The squad's fitness drills included carrying a Red Bull Formula 1 car across a pitch. They also trained with other athletes sponsored by the brand, including surfer Andrew Cotton, mountain biker Danny MacAskill, fitness athlete Harry Lightfoot and HYROX competitor Jake Dearden.
Rebuilding the club
Red Bull saved Newcastle from going out of business when they took over the club last year. The team finished at the bottom of the Premiership table last season, winning two of their 18 matches. It was their fourth consecutive season finishing in last place.
McFarland, who has previously coached Connacht, Glasgow, Scotland, Ulster and Kobe Steelers, said Red Bull are breaking new ground in Europe.
"We are a start-up club, so there is a process that comes with that," McFarland said. "Everybody at Red Bull understand they're not in it for the short haul. This is a project that's going over years. My job is to try and get it off the ground."
The club has invested nearly £1 million in a new playing pitch, and there are plans to build a new training centre at their Kingston Park home.
New staff and players
Off the field, Neil McIlroy has been appointed general manager. He is joined by former Scotland analyst Gavin Vaughan as head of recruitment and Tom Clough as head of performance. The club said Vaughan has received significant interest from players at other clubs across the globe.
While Newcastle will not spend up to the Premiership's £6.4 million salary cap this season, they plan to do so in future years to attract world-class talent.
The club's two major player arrivals are scrum-half Raffi Quirke and New Zealand flanker Hoskins Sotutu, though Sotutu is currently recovering from a knee injury. South African back Werner Kok has also joined the squad.
John Fletcher has been given a role developing young players, with 17-year-old Scotland fly-half Jake Dalziel identified as a prospect for the first team.
Red Bull integration
During the camp in Austria, the team hotel featured a Formula 1 simulator, a table tennis table and a Red Bull DJ.
"When you start to step into the Red Bull world, it's a real eye-opener," full-back Josh Hodge said. "When Red Bull has got involved with any other sports, they've made the most exciting teams or exciting individuals in the world. That's what we're trying to do too. We want to be the most exciting rugby team in the world."
New Zealand flanker Tom Christie said being part of the company's athletic roster was an incredible experience.
"Red Bull is an extremely unique brand," Christie said. "So, for us, as Red Bull athletes, to be part of their family was an incredible experience."
Marketing and local ties
The takeover has brought marketing and operational changes. Staff now receive free lunches alongside the players and have had their pensions boosted, and new video and social media managers have joined via Red Bull's marketing programme.
A video of two players completing a kicking challenge in Austria received millions of views on Red Bull's Instagram account. Players will also feature on the cover of the brand's global magazine.
Racing Bulls Formula 1 drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad are planned to wear Newcastle shirts on the grid at an upcoming Grand Prix. Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend is also working as a consultant for Red Bull.
England head coach Steve Borthwick visited the club during their pre-season preparations.
Community links
The club has maintained local ties by dividing the squad into four mini teams named after the region's historic industries: coal mining, farming, ship-making and fishing.
Christie has embraced the city, taking trips to watch Newcastle United at St James' Park.
"We're representing Red Bull and we take that seriously," Christie said. "The people are mad for the football team here. We've got some amazing fans who have stuck with us when it's been tough. We're not going to shy away from that. Now we're in a position to play an exciting brand of rugby, reward our fans and hopefully bring in new ones."
McFarland also has a history in the city, having studied classics at Newcastle University in the early 1990s. He met his wife Danielle there and used to watch the rugby team from the terraces, noting that Kingston Park looks much the same in 2026.
"I didn't shower myself in glory as a student, but I certainly made the most of it," McFarland said. "I had three brilliant years here. I'd stand for matches at the bottom of the terrace. I don't really remember any specific games. There's probably a good reason but we don't need to go into that!"
McFarland said he wants the team to match the high energy of their owners.
"I genuinely don't know what is achievable, so I'm not going to put any limits on that," he said. "We're owned by an energy drink company, so our game has to be high energy. We've got to play with intensity and we're preparing to do that. We want to bring a brand of rugby people want to watch."
"Red Bull are famous for wanting to push boundaries," McFarland said. "It's not fluff. That's what they want to do. They're brave. Having a worldwide company owning a rugby club in Europe is extremely unusual. They're breaking new ground. I was certainly attracted by that."
"This is a club that has been linked to glory," he added. "It's also a club that's packed with resilience, toughness and grit, all things that make rugby a very special sport. That was a big attraction for me in coming back to Newcastle."
