The 23-year-old has made the move to the English Premiership

Newcastle Red Bulls have completed the signing of Edinburgh lock Rob Carmichael, who has signed on a short-term deal.

Standing at 6'11, Carmichael is believed to be the tallest player actively playing professional rugby, although he is incredibly still one inch shorter than fromer star Richard Metcalfe, who remains the club's tallest ever player.

Red Bulls head coach Dan McFarland said: “Rob is a talented prospect who will provide valuable depth for us during a period of the season where we are playing across multiple competitions.”

Carmichael is a former England under-20s international, but is still being courted by Hong Kong, where he was born, ahead of the upcoming World Cup.

He is also eligible to play for Scotland and Wales, but has so far resisted making a call on his international future.

Carmichael's family relocated to the UK in 2019 when he was around 16, and it wasn't long before Leicester Tigers spotted his potential, and snapped him up for their academy.

He made two PREM Rugby Cup appearances for the Tigers before getting the call from the England under-20s, and then moving on to Edinburgh.

The 23-year-old made just three appearances in the Scottish capital before leaving for Newcastle.

Looking back on the move to the UK, he told the Tall Stories podcast that it was a "massive culture shock" for him and his family.

When he was playing rugby in China, other players weren't able to lift him due to the sheer size difference, but his height became a big attraction to teams when he moved to England.

"My height has massively helped me get to where I am," he said. "I've been given a lot of opportunities that maybe other people wouldn't have. I've worked very hard to get to where I am, but it has obviously helped me massively. I do stand out, if nothing else.

"Grandmas come up to me and tell me that their grandson is as tall as me. You can't really just shut down an old lady like that, but they're all wrong," he added.

Quizzed on being the tallest professional rugby player, Carmichael said he would "humbly accept that title."