Les Kiss will coach the Reds again in the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season, RA says. Screen capture: Qld Reds TV
The Wallabies have their new, and next World Cup, head coach with Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss signing up for a two-year deal.
But Rugby Australia (RA) says Kiss will not take over from Joe Schmidt until the middle of 2026 after the Kiwi extended his tenure by another year.
The announcement was made this morning on RA’s website.
Kiss formerly served as an assistant to Schmidt with Ireland as they won Six Nations titles in 2014 and 2015.
The coaching transition is expected to happen between the Lions tour in July and the 2027 Rugby World Cup here in Australia.
“My intention to finish at the end of this year’s Rugby Championship has been adjusted to fit with Les’s availability,” Schmidt told www.rugby.com.au.
“I think he’s doing a great job with the Reds so it was important to dovetail with his responsibilities there,” the Kiwi said.
“For my family, the extension until the end of next July means that they will spend more time with me in Sydney so we will hopefully find a good balance,” Schmidt says.
Kiss says it is now “an incredibly exciting time for Australian rugby” with the British and Irish Lions visiting this year and Australian teams enjoying good fortunes in the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific competition.
“Joe and I have a strong relationship and a long history of working together,” he says.
“I am looking forward to building upon the excellent foundations he has laid with the Wallabies.”
KISS’S BACKGROUND
A son of Bundaberg, Kiss is a former North Sydney, Queensland and Australian rugby league rep.
His first foray into coaching was with the NRL’s now-defunct Northern Eagles merger team.
A former rugby league winger, Kiss began his rugby coaching career with South Africa (defence) in 2001 then joined NSW in 2002.
In 2008, he joined the Irish national coaching team as defence coach and Ireland won the Six Nations undefeated the following season.
In 2013, he served as Ireland’s interim head coach until Schmidt was appointed.
Kiss joined Ulster in 2015 as Director of Rugby, moved onto London Irish in 2018 as coach in 2018 then returned to Queensland in 2024 to replace Brad Thorn after London Irish fell into administration.
Kiss will coach the Reds in next year’s Super Rugby Pacific season before his transition into the Wallabies coaching ranks begins.
