McFarland embraces rebuild as Newcastle Red Bulls open season at Northampton
The short version
- Newcastle Red Bulls open the Premiership season away at champions Northampton Saints on Friday night
- Dan McFarland is the new head coach after the club used three different coaches last season
- Newcastle have brought in 25 new players for the campaign
- Red Bull took over the club in August 2025; Newcastle finished bottom last season for a fourth straight time
- The squad visited Red Bull's Salzburg headquarters during pre-season
New head coach Dan McFarland says Red Bull's full commitment makes the Newcastle rebuild an exciting challenge as the Premiership season begins.
Newcastle Red Bulls begin the new Premiership season on Friday night with a visit to defending champions Northampton Saints, and new head coach Dan McFarland is framing his rebuilt squad as an underdog ready to take on the league's best.
Red Bull completed its takeover of Newcastle in August 2025, leaving little time to prepare for last season, which ended with a last-place finish for the fourth straight year. The club also cycled through three head coaches — Steve Diamond, Alan Dickens and Stephen Jones — before appointing McFarland, who sees himself as the ownership group's first true choice for the role.
McFarland, 54, previously led Ulster for more than five years before a stint as forwards coach with Japan's Kobelco Kobe Steelers. He said the chance to build a team from the ground up was a key part of the job's appeal.
Newcastle have signed 25 new players this offseason, and McFarland said a pre-season trip to Red Bull's headquarters in Salzburg, Austria helped the expanded squad bond. After Northampton, the fixtures do not get easier, with a home game against Leicester Tigers followed by a trip to Exeter Chiefs.
Comparing his side to a driver starting at the back of the grid, McFarland said the aim is to work through the teams ahead of them and enjoy the process.
