“Mark came very highly recommended to us from our scouting network in New Zealand before we watched him play a number of times, and his game is tailor-made for English rugby,” said Falcons forwards coach Peter Walton.

“He is a big physical lock from the hard school of the Bay of Plenty, and he has fitted straight in to our side right from when he first arrived. He has adapted to north-east life extremely quickly, his wife has a teaching job in the area and he is very settled here.

“Not only has Mark been an abrasive presence on the field, but his attitude behind the scenes has been superb. When we signed him we knew we were getting a very loyal club man and a tough competitor, so we look forward to working with Mark over the next three seasons in a rapidly-improving pack.”

That pack will include Sorenson’s countryman Carl Hayman after the culmination of the Rugby World Cup, with Walton saying: “If you combine the Kiwi boys with the top English talent we have coming through then it promises to be a big season for us.

“We have Phil Dowson as club captain after his outstanding performances for an England Saxons squad which also included Ben Woods, but they are just a couple of names in a young pack with a lot of promise. We are already well underway with our pre-season training, and the ambition around the club at the moment is obvious to everyone involved.”