With a reputation for innovation and unparallelled success in their other sporting ventures, Red Bull’s takeover of Newcastle Falcons — which was finally completed on Tuesday — has the potential to completely transform an English rugby club with huge potential.
‘I’m not suggesting motorcycles will be coming off the roof in the first game,’ said director of rugby Steve Diamond, the man in charge of the team now officially known as Newcastle Red Bulls. ‘But I think moving forward, it’s an entertainment package which is exciting for rugby, not just Newcastle. I think it’s going to be a huge positive. There’s a buzz around the place.
‘This is not going to be a sleeping giant any more. It’s been awoken.’
These are changing times in professional rugby, particularly with plans for a breakaway league gathering momentum. Now Red Bull — with an overall company value worth in the region of £26billion — has entered the equation. Newcastle will hope the energy drink conglomerate can help turn them from Premiership strugglers into potential trophy winners. But it is unlikely to happen overnight.
But history tells us Red Bull don’t mess about. When they first entered Formula One in 2005, they were written off as jokers by their competitors. Now, two decades later and with eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ championships in the bag, no one is laughing. Red Bull have also shaken up the football industry in Leipzig, New York and Salzburg, among other places. They will hope to have an impact in this season’s Premier League too with Leeds United, a team in which they have a minority share.
Their entry into rugby union is fascinating. Red Bull’s mantra is: ‘The can is the star, not the man.’ They see being a part of professional sport as a way of selling more of their famous product. That might seem crude or rather simplistic, but it is true. However, it is also about far more than pure marketing.
Newcastle director of rugby Steve Diamond has promised his side will no longer be a sleeping giant
The rugby club, have been taken over by Red Bull, who have dominated F1 for years
In F1, with the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, Red Bull became a winning machine. Given Newcastle have won just two Premiership games in two years and been in desperate need of fresh investment, Red Bull’s arrival could not have come at a better time. It is no wonder the great and the good of English rugby have welcomed the sea change.
Oliver Mintzlaff has a catchy title at Red Bull as their chief executive of corporate projects and investments.
He is the big cheese in the company’s sporting arm and is understood to have played a key role in the decision to dispense with the services of Christian Horner as the man in charge of their F1 team. ‘Together, we aim to elevate rugby to new heights and deliver unforgettable moments for our fans,’ Mintzlaff said.
‘We’re delighted to have acquired Newcastle Red Bulls and look forward to empowering the club to reach its full competitive potential.’
Diamond was more reserved than his usual effusive self when facing the media on Tuesday just an hour after the Red Bull deal was officially confirmed.
He was keen to keep initial expectations realistic, aware the takeover timing means he cannot go and spend the millions of fresh investment instantly. Newcastle’s squad for this season, despite some new arrivals, still looks thin after the departures of Callum Chick and Jamie Blamire.
Diamond confirmed Newcastle won’t be signing Louis Rees-Zammit, the Wales wing now back in rugby after he left the NFL. ‘All players are going to be of interest now. But at this moment in time, we’re just looking at the short term of this season,’ Diamond said. ‘He (Rees-Zammit) won’t be joining us for this season.’
They also have a footballing empire, which includes Red Bull Salzburg in Austria – the former home of Erling Haaland
In the coming weeks, Newcastle will release a new badge and kit to reflect their Red Bull takeover. Interest in ticket sales for the new campaign has skyrocketed.
After all, we all know Red Bull — to use their own slogan — ‘gives you wings’. Newcastle Red Bulls are unlikely to soar to immediate success. But in the short term, what the takeover does do is provide financial stability after two years of monetary worries.
Looking further ahead, the club should now be able to attract higher quality players, thus improving the chances of success. In time, Diamond will surely spend on recruitment.
However, he also wisely emphasised the club’s need to improve their training facilities and academy set-up as more immediate priorities.
Newcastle said they plan on ‘delivering a world-class fan experience and embracing the innovative approach Red Bull has brought to its sports initiatives across the world’.
Simon Massie-Taylor, Premiership chief executive, described Newcastle’s announcement as ‘a landmark moment for our sport’ while his RFU counterpart Bill Sweeney was equally glowing. Fresh investment is what English rugby has been crying out for and this is it.
‘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,’ Massie-Taylor said.
‘Their track record in global sport, from high-performance expertise to world-class marketing, will bring enormous value.’
Simon Massie-Taylor, Premiership chief executive, described Newcastle’s announcement as ‘a landmark moment for our sport’
Diamond added: ‘We’ll be looking at world-class facilities, world-class players and world-class coaches coming to Newcastle over the next three or four years to really hopefully dominate in the future. It’s just the start of a fantastic new beginning for Newcastle Red Bulls.
‘We can see green shoots. Some people have been here four or five years with very little success and very little to shout about. I’m not suggesting we can win the league, certainly not in year one or two. We’re not going to spend money if we don’t need to.’
Red Bull’s sporting record means they are unlikely to stand for Newcastle being the Premiership’s whipping boys for long.
You have to go back to the 1997-98 season for Newcastle’s only Premiership title to date — a triumph borne from the backing of Sir John Hall and with a young Jonny Wilkinson in their side.
Now, hopes are high Red Bull can have a similar impact and do in rugby what they have done in F1 and football. The next months and years promise much.
And in a city where Newcastle United, backed by the billions of Saudi Arabia, have lifted a trophy in football once again, the hope is rugby can now follow suit.
‘This future-proofs the professional game in the North East,’ Diamond said.
‘Red Bull’s track record shows they do that in all areas. There will be some bumps in the road, no doubt, but they’ve been totally professional up to now and I’ve no doubt they will be.
Red Bull won’t rush to spend a lot of money straightaway but will help the club move forwards
‘I think they see rugby as an exciting new part of their portfolio.
‘You can’t just rush out and spend money. It never really works. But we’re obviously thankful Newcastle has got new investors and the future will be brighter than it has been.
‘A successful Newcastle Red Bulls will generate a huge amount of support in this region.’
