Newcastle Red Bulls have bolstered their squad with two short-term signings, bringing in Edinburgh lock Rob Carmichael and Great Britain 7s scrum-half Kaleem Barreto.

Carmichael is a Scottish international second-rower who joins from Edinburgh Rugby.

Born in Hong Kong in 2003, he started his rugby journey with Sandy Bay RFC before moving to the UK in 2019.

He joined Leicester Tigers’ academy and made his senior debut in the Premiership Rugby Cup before moving to Edinburgh on loan in 2024. He subsequently signed a permanent three-year deal with the Scottish club.

Standing at 6ft 11in, Carmichael is believed to be the tallest player in rugby.

In December 2024, he was selected for the Emerging Scotland squad ahead of their international clash with Italy U23.

Despite previously expressing his desire to represent Scotland, Carmichael could switch allegiance to Hong Kong China ahead of the 2027 World Cup, having been born there.

Hong Kong have been handed a difficult pool alongside hosts Australia, the All Blacks and Chile.

They will need all the help they can get and could make a strong push to recruit Carmichael, who would have the opportunity to test himself against the world's best.

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 joined by Barreto, a scrum-half who has represented Scotland at Under-20s and 7s levels.

Born in Portugal before moving to the UK during his early childhood, Barreto spent time with Glasgow Warriors earlier in his career before concentrating primarily on the 7s game.

Welcoming him to Newcastle, McFarland said: "Kaleem is a skilful player who has a good opportunity over the next few weeks, and we look forward to seeing how he goes in our environment."