Newcastle Red Bulls Head Coach
Dan McFarland
- Role
- Head Coach
- Team
- Newcastle Red Bulls
- Nationality
- English
- Age
- 54
- In charge since
- Jul 2026
- Matches
- 5
- Record W-D-L
- 1-0-4
- Win rate
- 20.0%
Record in our match database since Sep 2026
as of- 5 Matches
- 1 Won
- 0 Drawn
- 4 Lost
- 20.0% Win rate
Dan McFarland has overseen 5 completed Newcastle Red Bulls matches in our database since September 2026 — 1 won, 0 drawn, 4 lost. That is a 20.0% win rate, with 123 points scored and 188 conceded.
Records are computed from the WeTalkRugby match database and cover matches we hold data for within this tenure. They are not an official all-time record.
Record by competition
— means no data from the provider| Competition | P | W | D | L | Win % | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All matches · Newcastle Red Bulls All competitions | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 20.0% | 123 | 188 |
| Premiership Sep 2026 – Oct 2026 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.0% | 73 | 117 |
| Premiership Rugby Cup Sep 2026 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | not available | 36 | 24 |
| Challenge Cup Oct 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | not available | 14 | 47 |
Last five matches
Every match in our database
5 matchesPremiership 3P · 0W · 0D · 3L
Premiership Rugby Cup 1P · 1W · 0D · 0L
Challenge Cup 1P · 0W · 0D · 1L
Career
- Newcastle Red Bulls Head Coach 2026–
- Ulster Head Coach 2018–24
About Dan McFarland
Dan McFarland is the head coach of Newcastle Red Bulls, the scrum specialist and former Ulster boss brought in for the club’s Red Bull-backed rebuild.
Dan McFarland is the head coach of Newcastle Red Bulls, announced on 24 April 2026 and starting in summer 2026 after completing the Japanese season. He takes over a club renamed following the Red Bull takeover in 2025.
Born in Oxfordshire in April 1972, he was a loosehead prop for Hull Ionians, Morley, Richmond, Stade Français and Connacht, where in 2005 he became only the second player after Eric Elwood to make 100 appearances for the province. He was never capped.
Connacht, Scotland and Ulster
He coached Connacht’s forwards from 2007 and was an assistant to 2015, also leading Emerging Ireland and the Ireland Wolfhounds. He was forwards coach at Glasgow Warriors and then Scotland, before becoming Ulster head coach in August 2018 — a five-and-a-half-year tenure that brought a Pro14 final and repeated Champions Cup knockout appearances but no silverware. He stepped down in January 2024 and joined Kobelco Kobe Steelers as forwards coach under Dave Rennie.
The Newcastle job
He replaces Alan Dickens, with Stephen Jones having taken interim charge, and arrives alongside a rebuilt staff including Jones on attack, Calum MacRae on defence and Micky Ward on scrum. There is no Director of Rugby above him.
Style
A scrum and set-piece technician, methodical and detail-driven, with a strong record of building competitive squads on modest budgets and developing young props — a logical fit for a rebuild.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is the head coach of Newcastle Red Bulls?
Dan McFarland is the head coach of Newcastle Red Bulls.
When did Dan McFarland take charge?
Dan McFarland took over at Newcastle Red Bulls in July 2026.
What is Dan McFarland's record?
From 5 matches in our database: 1 wins, 0 draws and 4 defeats — a 20.0% win rate.
What nationality is Dan McFarland?
Dan McFarland is English.
How old is Dan McFarland?
Dan McFarland is 54 years old.