Les Kiss leading contender for Wallabies as head coach Joe Schmidt weighs up future

Rugby Australia has been forced to assess the future of the Wallabies head coaching job with no guarantee Joe Schmidt will stay in the role after next year’s Lions tour.

Joe Schmidt would be allowed to spend more time in New Zealand with his family should he extend his Wallabies coaching contract beyond the Lions series, but Rugby Australia has already started contingency planning for his replacement.

Schmidt, whose contract expires next August after the British & Irish Lions tour, will meet his Rugby Australia employers next week to discuss his future, with Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss the leading contender to take over should he step down.

RA is hopeful Schmidt will continue through to the end of the 2027 home World Cup, having transformed the Wallabies into a competitive side within 12 months.

But Schmidt, whose son in New Zealand suffers a medical condition that requires ongoing care, has more to consider than just coaching which is why RA is looking at other options.

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Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt is no guarantee to remain in the position after the Lions tour next year. Picture: Getty Images

“We’re working through what that may look like, which is an appropriate business practice for when you don’t have certainty of an outcome,” RA chief executive Phil Waugh said.

“I think Joe was quite overt around the fact that he saw his responsibility in elevating Australian rugby but also providing a platform for an Australian to take over when he does finish up.

“If you look across our Australian rugby clubs now, the four head coaches across the system, Simon Cron’s a very strong coach at Force. You’ve got Stephen Larkham with Brumbies, Les Kiss in Queensland, Dan McKellar in NSW.

“We’ve got four very strong coaches in our system, so I think that we’re well positioned.”

Reds coach Les Kiss is a contender to succeed Joe Schmidt as Wallabies coach. Picture: Getty Images

McKellar has already ruled himself out of contention having recently signed a three-year contract with the Waratahs.

Waugh has already stated that RA is prepared to get “creative” to keep Schmidt in the role, and it’s understood that includes allowing him to spend extra time in New Zealand.

“We’ve been working through with Joe, he’s still overseas and coming back this week, so we expect to sit down with Joe and work through the plan post Lions,” Waugh said.

Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh may soon be on the lookout for a new Wallabies coach. Picture: Getty Images

“Joe’s committed through to the end of the Lions.

“He’s done a lot of heavy lifting and there has been a lot of progress in the Wallabies environment.

“He’s surrounded himself with really good people. Now it’s important to give players and staff certainty post the Lions and we’ll work through that over the next few weeks.

“In regards to (being) creative, obviously there’s a lot that goes into Joe’s future with commitments outside of rugby, as well as commitments to Rugby Australia. And I think it’s around actually what’s the right environment.

“As we’ve always said, it’s not just about the head coach, it’s about the environment that he creates and what talent they bring into the environment.

“And we’ll sit down and go through all those different options, pros and cons in the next couple of weeks.”

Originally published as Les Kiss leading contender for Wallabies as head coach Joe Schmidt weighs up future