Newcastle Crimson Bulls kicked off their new period with a snug 26-14 win in opposition to Harlequins within the Prem Rugby Cup, in entrance of a document cup crowd of 9,089 at a rain-drenched Kingston Park.

Newcastle, who’ve rebranded from the Falcons into the Crimson Bulls following the completion of a takeover in August, had been at all times in management in opposition to Quins of their Pool B opener.

Tries from George McGuigan and Murray McCallum within the first half, adopted by scores from Oli Spencer and Alex Hearle within the second, saved a youthful Quins outfit at arm’s size all through and secured a bonus-point victory.

Danny Wilson took cost of Quins for the ultimate time earlier than he joins the teaching workers of Wales’ nationwide staff.

In Friday’s different match, Gloucester registered an ideal opening to their Prem Cup marketing campaign with a 29-15 bonus-point victory over Exeter Chiefs of their Pool A fixture at Kingsholm.

Gloucester needed to combat onerous to realize management in opposition to Rob Baxter’s Chiefs and wanted a powerful second-half efficiency to place the sport to mattress.

Three tries from the guests within the first half noticed them go in on the break 15-14 up, earlier than the hosts ran in two tries from Josiah Edwards-Giraud and Jack Innard, to go together with a penalty from the boot of George Barton, to stretch clear.

But the evening was all about new beginnings in Newcastle, the place the Crimson Bull funding has energised a aspect that made the semi-finals of this competitors however completed backside of the Premiership final season.

And after absorbing early strain and battling by way of rain which hit within the second interval, the house aspect had been at all times a rating to the great, with even a late yellow card for Callum Hancock failing to dislodge their grip on the competition.