Editing Newcastle Falcons (section)

===Professional era===
For the 1996–97 season the new name of Newcastle Falcons and new black-and-white colours were adopted, after local businessman [[John Hall (English businessman)|Sir John Hall]] took control and attempted to create a sporting club in Newcastle that would emulate the success of the [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]] model. The four teams that made up that sporting club were the [[soccer|football]] team, nicknamed the [[Newcastle United F.C.|Magpies]], the [[Newcastle Eagles]] [[basketball]] team, the Newcastle Cobras (later Riverkings, Jesters, Vipers) ice hockey team and the Newcastle Falcons rugby union team.

Newcastle was the first fully "professional" club in the world.{{citation needed|date=December 2016}} In 1995, Hall installed former Wasps captain [[Rob Andrew]] as his salaried Director of Rugby and saw the club earn promotion from the national Second Division to the Premiership.

The following season, Newcastle became English Premiership champions at their first attempt in 1997–98. Alongside Andrew, the Championship winning side starred cross-code All Black, Samoa and Rugby League legend [[Inga Tuigamala]], Scotland legends [[Doddie Weir]] and [[Gary Armstrong (rugby)|Gary Armstrong]], England star [[Tony Underwood]], [[British and Irish Lions]] stars [[Alan Tait]] and [[John Bentley (rugby)|John Bentley]] and youngster [[Jonny Wilkinson]].

During the following 1998–99 season Newcastle didn't play in Europe, as English teams did not take part, but the Falcons did go on to the Tetley's Bitter Cup final against Wasps, which was lost 29–19. In 1999, [[Rob Andrew]] retired allowing for 20-year-old international [[Jonny Wilkinson]] to assume the fly half role full-time. Andrew remained as Director of Rugby.

Hall sold the Falcons for a 'nominal' sum in 1999 to local businessman Dave Thompson, under whom the Falcons won two [[EDF Energy Cup|Powergen Cups]]: in 2001 the Falcons beat [[Harlequins FC]] 30–27; and in 2004 the Falcons beat 37–33 against [[Sale Sharks]].

In 2004, legendary Wallabies full-back [[Matt Burke (rugby union, born 1973)|Matt Burke]] signed for the Falcons. For the Falcons, Burke played alongside former English rival [[Jonny Wilkinson]] (his opposite kicker in the 2001 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia). In Wilkinson, Burke, England international [[Dave Walder]] and emerging future England number 10 [[Toby Flood]] the Falcons had adequate competition for kicking duties over the coming seasons, despite long-term injuries to [[Jonny Wilkinson]]. During the 2004–05 season the Falcons recorded their best ever [[Heineken Cup]] performance to date by winning their pool and progressing to a quarter-final tie against [[Stade Français]] in the [[Parc des Princes]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newcastle-falcons.co.uk/36_1358.php|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120905083030/http://www.newcastle-falcons.co.uk/36_1358.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 September 2012|title=Stade Français 48–8 Newcastle Falcons|date=3 April 2005|publisher=www.newcastle-falcons.co.uk}}</ref>

In August 2005 Falcons toured Japan pre-season. They beat [[NEC Green Rockets]] easily but lost to a fired-up [[Toyota Verblitz]].<ref name="japan">[http://www.guinnesspremiership.com/news/3519.php Falcons fall to narrow defeat in Japan], Guinness Premiership, 23 August 2005.</ref>

In August 2006 [[Rob Andrew]] left the Falcons to take charge of the England set-up ahead of the 2007 World Cup in a wide-ranging role that encompasses all aspects of the professional representative game in England.<ref name="andrew">[http://www.newcastle-falcons.co.uk/36_2488.php Falcons pay tribute to Andrew] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614015600/http://www.newcastle-falcons.co.uk/36_2488.php |date=14 June 2011 }}, Newcastle-Falcons.co.uk, 18 August 2006</ref> John Fletcher succeeded Rob Andrew as director of rugby at Newcastle Falcons with immediate effect. Fletcher, a former England A centre, had been the club's academy boss and he headed up a team of Peter Walton, Steve Black and Bob Morton, with ex-Falcons prop Ian Peel taking over as acting academy manager.