Newcastle Falcons rebrands as Newcastle Red Bulls after takeover

Newcastle’s professional rugby club unveiled a new name, crest and playing strips on Tuesday after a summer takeover by energy drinks company Red Bull, and will wear the new identity for the first time in Friday night’s PREM Rugby Cup match against Harlequins. The rebrand, which changes the club formerly known as Newcastle Falcons to Newcastle Red Bulls, follows a period of financial difficulty and comes as the team prepares to open its Gallagher Premiership campaign at home to Saracens later this month.

Red Bull’s acquisition places the northeast club inside a global sporting portfolio that spans extreme sports, Formula 1 and several football teams in Salzburg, Leipzig, New York and elsewhere. Club officials said the new crest incorporates the North Star to reflect the team’s status as the league’s northernmost club, dynamic bulls to signify forward momentum, and design elements that reference a rugby ball and the Tyne Bridge. The club also revealed a black home shirt and a gold away strip, colors the club said recall the black and gold trim worn when they won the 1997-98 Premiership title.

Head coach Steve Diamond welcomed the takeover as an endorsement of rugby in the region,...