Les Kiss confirmed as next Wallabies coach but to stay on with Queensland Reds for another season
Rugby’s worst kept secret has been confirmed, with the Wallabies’ next coach officially announced. But there has been a significant change in how the transition will take place, reports JAMIE PANDARAM.
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Les Kiss will continue coaching the Queensland Reds in 2026 as part of an elongated transition to the Wallabies coaching job that will see Joe Schmidt remain as national boss until the middle of next year.
Kiss’ appointment as the new Wallabies coach has appeared a formality for some time now, and the news was confirmed by Rugby Australia on Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, this masthead revealed Schmidt had been convinced to extend his stay by several months. Initially slated to leave his role with the Wallabies at the end of The Rugby Championship in October, he will now carry on until mid-2026.
The move means RA will not have to pay a release fee to Queensland Rugby Union, who have Kiss contracted until the end of the 2026 Super Rugby season.
“My intention to finish at the end of this year’s Rugby Championship has been adjusted to fit with Les’s availability,” Schmidt said. “I think he’s doing a great job with the Reds, so it was important to dovetail with his responsibilities there.
The unusual agreement means Kiss will only have 16 months in the top job before leading the Wallabies’ 2027 World Cup campaign in Australia.
It’s understood he will have some part to play in the Wallabies’ preparation while Schmidt retains the head coaching job before the Kiwi steps back into an advisory role when Kiss assumes the throne.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time for Australian Rugby and I am humbled by the opportunity to serve as Wallabies Head Coach from next year,” Kiss said. “Joe and I have a strong relationship and a long history of working together, and I am looking forward to building upon the excellent foundations he has laid with the Wallabies.
“I am thrilled to continue with the Reds for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season before transitioning into the Wallabies environment. To coach our national team through such an important period, highlighted by a home Rugby World Cup in 2027, is the honour of a lifetime and an opportunity I am truly grateful for.
“I look forward to contributing to the continued growth of Australian Rugby.”
RA and the QRU have been negotiating back and forth for some time, and Queensland wanted significant compensation if Kiss were to be poached from them while under contract.
In the background, RA have worked away on Schmidt to stay on, despite challenging personal circumstances where his son, who suffers from epilepsy and requires constant care in New Zealand, had led him to initially call time at the end of the British & Irish Lions series finishing in August.
Initially, RA convinced Schmidt to extend his tenure until the end of TRC in October, after which Kiss was expected to take over.
But when Schmidt indicated he could once again extend his term, RA decided it would be wiser to continue on that path rather than pay out a significant sum to Queensland, and force the Reds to seek another coach.
It means Schmidt will oversee the Wallabies’ spring tour, including a game in Tokyo against Japan on October 25, followed by Tests against England, Italy, Ireland and France.
The Wallabies’ 2026 Test schedule remains unclear, after New Zealand and South Africa organised their own breakaway series that will see the All Blacks play the Springboks in four Tests, cancelling The Rugby Championship.
The Wallabies expect to play the All Blacks and Springboks at least once each, but will be forced to look at additional games against Argentina, and possibly Japan and Fiji as well as northern nations, to make up the shortfall in games.
The announcement on Kiss will be formally made at a press conference in Sydney on Wednesday morning.
Kiss, the former North Sydney Bears rugby league player, worked with Schmidt in Ireland.
Kiss will become the fifth Wallabies coach in the past seven years as failure, boardroom power plays and personal circumstances have seen Michael Cheika, Dave Rennie, Jones, Schmidt and now Kiss earmarked for the role.
Kiss has the Reds in fourth on the Super Rugby table with five rounds remaining, with six wins and three losses – the least of any Australian team.
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Originally published as Les Kiss confirmed as next Wallabies coach but to stay on with Queensland Reds for another season