Newcastle Red Bulls coach credits Red Bull culture for Leatherbarrow's surprise Scotland call-up

Ollie Leatherbarrow has received a surprise first senior Scotland call-up, named in Gregor Townsend’s 37-man squad for the Nations Championship after a series of impactful appearances off the bench for Newcastle Red Bulls this season.

The 24-year-old flanker qualifies for Scotland through his Perth-born grandmother and has previously represented the nation at Under-16 and Under-20 levels. He began his career in Devon with Exeter University and Exeter Chiefs before moving to Newcastle, where he has made his mark primarily as an impact substitute, with his only start this season coming in a Challenge Cup appearance against the Scarlets in which he scored a try.

Scotland will face New Zealand, Australia and Japan at Murrayfield before the tournament’s finals weekend at Twickenham, and Leatherbarrow will compete for a back-row berth alongside established options such as Tom Christie and Max Hicks.

Newcastle head coach Dan McFarland, who oversaw the arrival of more than 20 new players at the club during the summer, says Leatherbarrow’s call-up reflects the broader ambition the Red Bulls have instilled across their squad.

“With Ollie, it’s a combination of the effort and the competitiveness. He’s a great athlete. His ball carry is a super strength of his, but playing back row is multi-faceted,” McFarland said. “He works hard, but he’s got special moments too.”

McFarland was careful not to reduce Leatherbarrow to a mere workhorse, insisting the flanker possesses the quality to produce decisive moments at the highest level. He also framed the call-up as part of a wider ambition for the club to serve as a launchpad for international careers.

“I know that we’ve had a number of players who have been on the radar of international teams at the moment, and if you’re not playing rugby that’s competitive, those guys don’t get a look in,” he said. “A big part of Red Bull is giving people wings, and we’ve got a lot of ambitious young men. A lot of them want to play for their country, and that’s a goal for me personally — to support them in the pursuit of their ambition to play for their countries.”

Leatherbarrow’s selection is the most visible sign yet that Newcastle’s transformation under Red Bull ownership is beginning to bear fruit at international level, and McFarland will be hoping the flanker is only the first of several players to force their way into national reckoning.