NEWCASTLE RED BULLS
Head CoachDan 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.
Match-by-match records for this tenure are still being collected. The profile will fill in automatically as results sync.
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.
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Coaching career
- 2018-2024 Ulster Head Coach
- 2026- Newcastle Red Bulls Head Coach
Players under Dan McFarland
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About Dan McFarland
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.
Frequently asked
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 nationality is Dan McFarland?
Dan McFarland is English.
How old is Dan McFarland?
Dan McFarland is 54 years old.
