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NEWCASTLE RED BULLS CONFIRM COACHING LINE-UP
Dan McFarland will take over as Newcastle Red Bulls’ head coach this summer - the Englishman heading up an exciting new coaching roster which includes the return of Calum MacRae.
McFarland (left of picture) arrives from Japanese title contenders Kobelco Steelers, while MacRae will head back to Kingston Park as defence coach once his duties with Italian side Benetton are concluded at the end of the current season.
Stephen Jones (attack coach), Micky Ward (scrum coach) and Lee Dickson (skills and transition coach) will all remain in position, while Mark Laycock takes up the role of coaching co-ordinator and transition coach.
All three of the Red Bulls’ senior coaches will boast head coach or international level experience, with Ward, Laycock and Dickson ensuring continuity and a strong affinity with the local area.
Relishing the opportunity ahead of him, McFarland said: “I’m very honoured to be joining Newcastle Red Bulls.
“The club and wider region has a fantastic rugby tradition which I am very respectful of, and keen to learn more about.
“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.
“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’s Kobelco Steelers are currently challenging for honours in Japan’s Top League after a strong start to the campaign, with the incoming Newcastle boss boasting considerable coaching pedigree.
A prop for Richmond, Stade Francais and Connacht in his playing days, he took up coaching with the Irish province in a decade-long spell which also saw him coaching Ireland Under-20s, Emerging Ireland and Ireland A.
A former Newcastle University Student, Oxfordshire-born McFarland also spent four years in Scotland, initially as assistant coach at Glasgow Warriors before stepping up to the same role with the Scottish national team.
He enjoyed six years as head coach of Ulster from 2018 to 2024, reaching the knock-out rounds of the Champions Cup and United Rugby Championship on multiple occasions before embarking on his Japanese adventure with Kobelco Steelers in 2024.
He will spearhead a coaching team which sees the return of Calum MacRae, the Scotsman who was Newcastle’s skills and attack coach from 2011 to 2014.
The former Scotland A and 7s international spent the subsequent five seasons on the coaching staff at Edinburgh, helping them to the Champions Cup quarter-finals before joining Benetton, initially as defence coach before taking over as head coach a year ago.
His time with the Italian club saw them making the knock-out phase of the Champions Cup for the first time in their history, while his spell as head coach of the Scotland Sevens side from 2014-2017 included two victories in the London leg of the World Sevens Series.
MacRae said: “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.
“After my time in the URC with Edinburgh and Benetton Rugby it feels a great point to be coming back to the Gallagher PREM.
“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.”
Wales and Lions legend Stephen Jones reverts to his role as attack coach after joining from Super Rugby side Moana Pasifika earlier this season.
Newcastle’s all-time appearance record holder Micky Ward continues to lead the Red Bulls’ scrum, while former England, Newcastle and Northampton scrum-half Lee Dickson goes full-time as skills and transition coach.
Mark Laycock will serve as coaching co-ordinator and transition coach as the club aims to continue its proud record of bringing through homegrown talent, with the new coaching team taking charge of an exciting new playing group.
Among the many confirmed arrivals for next season are All Black No.8 Hoskins Sotutu, England scrum-half Raffi Quirke, Hurricanes flyer Fehi Fineanganofo, Maori All Blacks prop Pouri Rakete-Stones, Scotland hooker George Turner and Argentina lock Franco Molina, to name just a few.
NEWCASTLE RED BULLS’ 2026-27 COACHING TEAM
Dan McFarland – Head coach
Stephen Jones – Attack coach
Calum MacRae – Defence coach
Micky Ward – Scrum coach
Lee Dickson – Skills and transition coach
Mark Laycock – Coaching co-ordinator and transition coach
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