Newcastle Falcons is building towards a bright future with a mixture of player signings and sponsorship announcements continuing to roll in at the North East’s only professional rugby union club.
In addition, the Gallagher Premiership outfit has welcomed on board a number of new sponsors, most recently Loganair as their official airline partner, and occasion which was marked with a joint photoshoot at Newcastle International Airport.
The sponsorship deal is part of Loganair’s plans to further expand its presence in Newcastle, with an additional Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft creating a further 16 jobs at the base.
The UK’s largest regional airline is offering customers in the region almost 200,000 seats to seven destinations, representing a 40% increase in capacity compared to the prior year.
On the field the Falcons is also looking to take a similarly skyward trajectory, with a host of key contract renewals for players including flying winger Adam Radwan, homegrown hooker Jamie Blamire and game-breaking runner Ben Stevenson, to name just a few.
As well as tying down its most promising talent the Falcons are actively adding to their player pool, with a number of new signings already secured.
South African hooker Corbin Thunder arrived on Tyneside in mid-March looking to make a positive impact, as did Irish prop Oisin Heffernan, who has joined from Northampton Saints.
England Under-18s star Ben Redshaw – rated as one of the brightest young prospects in the country – has also committed to a two-year deal, with the Falcons’ head of academy James Ponton expecting big things from the Sedbergh Schoolboy.
“Ben is really well thought of and is known as one of the top England players at Under-18s level,” said Ponton.
“He’s very quick, very strong in the tackle and to be honest has a complete skill set. His attitude on top of that is absolutely spot-on. He’s a really diligent and hard-working lad, and he fits every one of the criteria we look for in a player.”
When pre-season starts in the summer the Falcons will have at least another three signings on board, with Murray McCallum, Kiran McDonald and Tim Cardall boosting its forward stocks.
McCallum, who recently turned 27, is a prop-forward who has been capped three times for Scotland and can play on both sides of the scrum, with the new addition playing out the rest of this season with Edinburgh.
Lock-forward McDonald, 28, is a former Glasgow and Wasps player who has also spent time playing for Irish province Munster, and will add considerable size and physicality to the Falcons’ pack when he arrives on a two-year deal.
Another former Wasp, Tim Cardall, completes the trio of announced senior signings, with the ex-Nottingham man currently playing Super Rugby with Australian franchise Melbourne Rebels.
The ongoing squad-building continues the feeling of excitement around Kingston Park as the club lays firm foundations for the future, with season tickets already on sale for the 2023-24 campaign.
With Rugby World Cup 2023 being played in France over the late summer months it promises to be a huge year for the sport, and supporters wishing to see a game in the flesh have some great offers to enjoy as Newcastle Falcons strive to continue to grow their supporter base.
Season tickets start from just £120 for the 12-game package, with under-11s going FREE (one per full paying adult).
Single-game entry starts from just £15 for adults and £7 for juniors, with all the details available by visiting www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk or calling 0191 214 5588 (option 1).
