Red Bull has agreed a deal to buy Newcastle Falcons which includes a commitment to keep the club in the city and will ensure the Premiership remains a 10-team competition next season.
Newcastle have been for sale for over a year, with owner Semore Kurdi no longer willing to fund multimillion-pound annual losses, leading to fears they could become the fourth Premiership club to go bust in the last two years after Wasps, Worcester and London Irish.
