Raffi Quirke ruled out of Newcastle debut with knee ligament damage as club seek cover

Raffi Quirke’s move to Newcastle Red Bulls has been immediately derailed by a knee ligament injury that will rule the England scrum-half out of Friday’s Premiership opener against reigning champions Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens. Head coach Dan McFarland confirmed the news on Monday, with the club now understood to be searching for a potential replacement.

Quirke, 25, joined from Sale Sharks in the summer hoping a fresh start in the North East would revive an international career that has stalled since he scored a try against South Africa in November 2021 — the last of his two caps. He was recalled to the England squad as recently as this summer, covering for the injured Alex Mitchell in a Nations Championship clash with Argentina, making the setback all the more frustrating.

The former Shark endured persistent hamstring and wrist problems during his time at Sale, and the knee issue appears to have struck after he featured in a pre-season fixture against Glasgow Warriors just ten days ago. McFarland declined to specify the full extent or timeline of the injury, saying only: “Raffi is currently not available yet. That’s absolutely true. We haven’t released an injury update, but Raffi won’t be considered for selection this week.”

The Red Bulls will not be entirely short of options at scrum-half, however. McFarland confirmed that Argentinian signing Simón Benitez-Cruz has arrived in the North East following international duty and is available to face Saints — a timely boost given Quirke’s absence looks set to extend beyond the immediate term.

Three other new Argentinian recruits — tight-head Francisco Moreno, lock Franco Molina, and full-back Benjamín Elizalde — have also completed their journeys to the club after representing their country and will be in contention for Friday’s trip to Franklin’s Gardens.