Les Kiss To Replace Joe Schmidt As Wallabies Coach After Rugby Championship
Les Kiss To Replace Joe Schmidt As Wallabies Coach After Rugby Championship
Les Kiss is set to succeed Joe Schmidt as the Wallabies head coach after the 2025 Rugby Championship, aiming to lead Australia through the 2027 World Cup.
Former Ireland assistant coach and Ulster Director of Rugby Les Kiss is poised to be named the new head coach of the Wallabies, succeeding his longtime friend and former colleague Joe Schmidt, according to multiple Australian media outlets.
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Rugby Australia is expected to make the official announcement Wednesday, confirming that Kiss, currently head coach of Super Rugby Pacific side the Queensland Reds, will take charge of the struggling national team following this year’s Rugby Championship.
Kiss, 60, and Schmidt share a coaching history with Ireland, where the pair guided the team to a Six Nations title in 2013.
At the time, Schmidt served as head coach, while Kiss handled defensive duties.
Their paths now converge again as successive Wallabies bosses, with Kiss stepping into a role that has seen constant turnover in recent years. He will become the fifth person to hold the position in just six years.
Kiss is expected to lead the Wallabies through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, which will be held on home soil.
Australia is seeking stability and a fresh direction following a turbulent period marked by disappointing results, including a group-stage exit at the 2023 World Cup under Eddie Jones.
Schmidt took over from Jones in late 2023 but announced in February that he would step down after the 2024 season to return to New Zealand. He cited a desire to spend more time with his family and care for his youngest son, who suffers from severe epilepsy.
Kiss brings decades of coaching experience, including a stint as Ulster’s Director of Rugby from 2014 to 2018.
Despite never leading the Irish province to a Pro14 final or the European knockout stages, his leadership at the Reds has drawn praise. Since taking over in 2023, he has led the Brisbane-based team to fourth in the current Super Rugby standings.
Before his coaching career, Kiss was a dual-code international, playing rugby league for the Kangaroos and representing the New South Wales State of Origin side.
His expected appointment comes at a critical juncture for Australian rugby, as the Wallabies look to rebuild credibility and consistency ahead of a home World Cup and amid growing scrutiny of Rugby Australia’s leadership and player development pathways.
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