Incoming Wallabies coach Les Kiss says he won’t join the national team until his contract begins in the middle of next year and believes a 14-month runway is enough time for him to get Australia ready for a home World Cup in 2027.
It comes as incumbent coach Joe Schmidt threw his full support behind Kiss, saying continuity in style and philosophy would benefit the Wallabies in the coming years.
As revealed by this masthead on Tuesday, Rugby Australia has convinced Schmidt to extend his stint as Wallabies coach from October this year – he was supposed to finish at the end of the Rugby Championship – to July next year.
Kiss, the current Queensland Reds coach and a former assistant under Schmidt with Ireland, will take over in July 2026 on a deal through to the end of 2028.
It leaves Kiss, the Queensland rugby league icon, 14 months with the Wallabies before a World Cup in Australia that starts in October, 2027.
“Taking on the role is scary but exciting at the same time,” Kiss said at Wednesday’s announcement at Allianz Stadium. “It’s an honour to do what I’m doing. There will not be any excuses there [of a short runway into the World Cup]. There’s going to be strong things in place that I can tap into and dovetail and bring my points of difference to.
Les Kiss has been unveiled as the new Wallabies coach, starting in mid-2026. Credit: AP
“That continuation is massively important in terms of making sure when I step in there people are still certain about how they work and how they do their job. Maybe the difference will be my jokes are better than Joe’s.
“I’m not trying to be flippant there, but I’m just saying it’s massively important that the players know there’s not a rip and tear.
“This is a country that expects a lot in the sporting market … and I’m very clear with what I want to be able to do with that team, but I know that the continuation that we’re building here [will help]. I’m not here to rip and tear. I’m going to make sure I dovetail with much as I can, and I’ll bring my points of difference into play.”
Kiss, who will honour his contract with the Reds for the 2026 Super Rugby season, said he wouldn’t tour with the Wallabies this year. Schmidt will also be in charge for the first three Tests of the 2026 season.
(L-R) Joe Schmidt, Les Kiss and Phil Waugh at Wednesday’s announcement. Credit: AP
“I’ll be focused on the Reds and making sure that that process goes on,” Kiss said. “I am still the Queensland Reds coach down the road. I’ll take over from Joe.”
Schmidt, who said he was thrilled to see Kiss appointed, said he had no intention of continuing beyond mid-2026.
“It isn’t really something that I’m planning to do,” Schmidt said. “Maybe a sounding board remit that would be a friendship-orientated thing as much as a professional rugby formal involvement … just because I’ll stay interested in the game and I love the game.
“I’m absolutely confident that he will do a great job. Will he [Kiss] win the World Cup? I don’t think anyone can answer that.”
Asked if he needed convincing to stay an extra eight months, Schmidt said: “Not when it was Les and it was going to be dovetailed the way it was. It seemed like a long time, but then by the time I agreed to do TRC [The Rugby Championship] it didn’t seem that much further in the future. I think the friendship that goes back a long way made that a lot easier. I think we will share a lot of the same philosophies.”
RA wanted Kiss to coach the Wallabies from later this year, but the Queensland Rugby Union did not want to release the 60-year-old early.
Kiss said he had no interest in juggling both jobs.
“It was a very considered, thoughtful process,” Kiss said. “What I didn’t want to do is have a double job as such. I wanted to make sure I could focus on one, and Joe focuses on that [Wallabies]. I think we’ve come to a great solution. The transition of coaches is massively important.”
RA boss Phil Waugh insisted it was the best result for the code.
“It’s been a very thoughtful, very considered, and a very focused recruitment process,” Waugh said.
“We’ve been largely focusing on stability, continuity and continued progression. I think we’ve ended up in a really elegant solution here, which provides certainty.”
