McFarland swaps Japan for Newcastle head coach role

Dan McFarland, wearing glasses, looks on sternly in a blue Ulster coat and cap.Getty Images

Dan McFarland was head coach at Ulster for six seasons

Newcastle Red Bulls have confirmed the appointment of Dan McFarland from Kobelco Steelers as head coach next season.

The 54-year-old will arrive from Japan in the summer after the conclusion of the Top League season.

Newcastle are bottom of the Prem with only one league win all season but McFarland will take charge of a drastically overhauled squad after a huge recruitment spree following the Red Bull takeover in August last year.

"I'm very honoured to be joining Newcastle Red Bulls," McFarland told the club website.

"I'm looking forward to working with all the players and support staff, and being heavily involved in one of the most exciting projects in world rugby at the moment.

"Newcastle Red Bulls are a club intent on success. The possibilities for the club are huge, but nothing happens in sport without hard work and quality processes being put in place."

Newcastle have been in need of a long-term head coach since the departure of Alex Dickens in March, with attack coach Stephen Jones promoted to lead the team until the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

Newcastle's signings for next season include the additions of internationals Hoskins Sotutu, George Turner and Raffi Quirke.

"The excellent work done on recruitment has meant that there will be lots of new talent arriving in the north east to join the team, and after a great experience out in Japan over the past couple of years I'm looking forward to getting stuck into this exciting new challenge," McFarland added.

The former Scotland assistant coach will front a coaching set-up with current caretaker boss Jones reverting back to an attack remit and Benetton head coach Calum MacRae return to the club to oversee defence.

"I'm delighted to be coming back to the club where it all started for me as a coach, and at the start of an exciting new chapter with Red Bull," said MacRae.

"The club's vision and ambition to compete at the top of the Prem and Europe is clear. I'm highly motivated to contribute to those objectives with a talented group of players and coaches.

"Having family in Newcastle and Teesside makes it even more special for me to be representing both them and the people of the north-east again."