Newcastle Red Bulls are entering the new Premier season with a fresh start, thanks to a new ownership structure and a completely revamped squad. The club came under Red Bull ownership in August 2025, but struggled last season, finishing at the bottom of the league for the fourth year in a row with only two wins in 18 games. In response, the club has made major changes, including appointing a new head coach, Dan McFarland, and bringing in 25 new players to rebuild the team. Dan McFarland, who has previously coached in rugby union with Ulster and in Japan with Kobelco Kobe Steelers, has returned to England to take charge of Newcastle. He described the role as a "start-up" opportunity, highlighting the unique partnership between a major corporation like Red Bull and a rugby club. The new ownership has allowed for greater collaboration in areas like athlete performance and marketing, aiming to bring new strategies and resources to the team. Newcastle's first match of the season is a tough away game against the reigning champions, Northampton Saints. This will be followed by two more challenging fixtures in the first three weeks of the league season: a home game against Leicester Tigers and an away match against Exeter Chiefs, both of which were play-off teams last year. These early tests are expected to be a strong indicator of the team's progress under the new leadership. McFarland has drawn a comparison between his team's challenge and that of Red Bull's Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen, who once competed against 100 amateur drivers in a go-kart race. The coach used this analogy to emphasize the team's determination to rise from the bottom of the league and make a strong impact in the upcoming season.