Overview
- Chief executive Phil Waugh reaffirmed Joe Schmidt will remain Wallabies coach through mid-2026, shutting down talk of an early exit.
- Schmidt is slated to lead Australia through next year’s Rugby Championship, the Spring tour, and three Nations Championship Tests in July against Italy, Ireland and France.
- Les Kiss will take over after those July fixtures, with Rugby Australia highlighting the pair’s previous collaboration at Ireland to justify the transition plan.
- The Wallabies finished 2025 with five wins from 15 Tests and went 0-4 in Europe, capped by a 48-33 loss to France, leaving them seventh for the 2027 World Cup seeding.
- Schmidt said he would step aside if Rugby Australia believed another coach was better placed, as the union prepares a formal review and faces scrutiny over tour selections.