[1] Newland was born in Dannevirke and attended New Plymouth Boys' High School as a boarder.

He played in the NZ Divisional XV from 2002 to 2005 when the competition was revised to increase the number of NPC teams.

He was also selected for the NZ Māori team, but played just one game before a shoulder injury ruled him out of successive matches.

In November 2010, Irish team Leinster announced the signing of Newland on a short term contract, running until February 2011.

When his Leinster contract expired, he signed for South African domestic team Eastern Province Kings.