Newcastle Red Bulls to sign England scrum-half Raffi Quirke from Sale Sharks

Raffi Quirke, the England and Sale Sharks scrum-half, is poised to become the latest high-profile Newcastle signing, joining the Red Bulls from the start of next season.

Quirke, 24, burst on to the Test scene in the 2021-22 season, scoring the winning try for England against South Africa at the Allianz Stadium, but has not featured for his country since those two caps in Eddie Jones’s penultimate autumn as head coach. Injury has severely hampered his playing time with his current club, Sale, where he has been vying for the scrum-half jersey with Gus Warr.

However, Quirke is ready to swap one of the Prem’s two northern outposts for the other. The scrum-half has become the latest signing for the ambitious Red Bulls as they revolutionise struggling Newcastle. It is understood that Quirke has signed a two-year deal.

In the North East, Quirke will compete with Argentine Simón Benítez Cruz, the scrum-half who scored in Newcastle’s only Prem victory of the season so far, last Friday night against Gloucester at Kingston Park. The Red Bulls remain bottom of the Prem table but the winds of change in the North East have brought signs of progress on and off the field.

Quirke becomes the latest in a string of Newcastle signings, as Red Bull continues to demonstrate its financial clout. Telegraph Sport revealed in November how No 8 Hoskins Sotutu, Super Rugby’s player of the season in 2025, had decided to call the Toon home next season. Sotutu’s arrival has since been confirmed by the club along with Pumas lock Franco Molina – formerly of Exeter – as well as Rusi Tuima and Josh Hodge, themselves currently Chiefs.

Quirke has started five times at scrum-half for the Sharks this season and featured off the bench another four. Often, Quirke covers wing for his hometown club with many believing that such versatility could be the key to unlocking a seven-one bench option for England.

England assembled for a day of pre-Six Nations meetings at their Pennyhill Park training base last Monday and Quirke was one of the few non-elite player squad attendees, alongside the likes of Exeter No 8 Greg Fisilau.

It is understood, too, that Prem forwards Cam Jordan and Elliot Millar Mills – the Gloucester lock and Northampton tighthead respectively – are close to agreeing deals with Newcastle as the Red Bulls’ squad for next season starts to take shape.

[Source: Daily Telegraph]