Newcastle Red Bulls place former Scotland coach in charge for next season

He will take over in the summer and joining him on Tyneside will be Calum MacRae, the one-time Edinburgh defence coach who is currently in charge at Benetton but will be leaving the Italian club at the end of the season.

MacRae will be Newcastle’s new defence coach as the sweeping changes at the club continue. Alan Dickens, the former Newcastle head coach, left the Gallagher Prem side in March.

McFarland arrives from Japanese side Kobelco Steelers and said he was “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,” he said.

‘A club intent on success’

“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.”

A prop for Richmond, Stade Francais and Connacht, McFarland took up coaching with Connacht. He 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.

MacRae, meanwhile, is returning to Newcastle where he was 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 before joining Benetton, initially as defence coach before taking over as head coach a year ago.

Townsend’s role

“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,” MacRae said.

“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.”

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend holds a part-time role with Red Bull as a strategic advisor and consultant on global rugby strategy and there is a strong Scottish influence running through Newcastle.

Scotland internationals recruited

Neil McIlroy, who played for Jed-Forest, joined the club as sporting general manager last year and oversees all rugby matters. He is a former general manager at Catalan Dragons and Clermont. Jonny Petrie, the former Glasgow and Scotland flanker, is Newcastle’s MD.

In addition, John Fletcher, who was head of pathways at Scottish Rugby, is now Newcastle’s academy and pathways director, and Gavin Vaughan, who was the Scotland national team performance analyst and key ally of Townsend’s, has also moved to Kingston Park.

Newcastle have also recruited two Scotland internationals for next season in hooker George Turner, from Harlequins, and prop Elliot Millar Mills, from Northampton Saints. Former Scotland Under-18s international Allan Ferrie has also joined, from Coventry.

The club has spent big to bolster their squad after years languishing at the bottom of the English top flight. Amongst their other new recruits are All Black No.8 Hoskins Sotutu, England scrum-half Raffi Quirke, Hurricanes winger Fehi Fineanganofo, Maori All Blacks prop Pouri Rakete-Stones and Argentina lock Franco Molina.