AUSTRALIA
Head CoachLes Kiss
Les Kiss is the head coach of Australia, a former rugby league Test winger who built his reputation as the defence coach behind Ireland’s 2009 Grand Slam.
Tenure record
as of 29 Aug 2026By competition
Int. Friendly Games 3P · 3W · 0D · 0L
Les Kiss has overseen 3 completed Australia matches in our database since August 2026 — 3 won, 0 drawn, 0 lost. That is a 100.0% win rate, with 118 points scored and 70 conceded.
Records are computed from the WeTalkRugby match database and cover matches we hold data for within this tenure. They are not an official all-time record.
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Coaching career
- 2008-2015 Ireland Defence Coach
- 2016-2018 Ulster Director of Rugby
- 2021-2025 Queensland Reds Head Coach
- 2026- Australia Head Coach
Honours
- 2019 RFU Championship (London Irish)
- 2009 Six Nations Grand Slam (Ireland, defence coach)
- 2015 Six Nations Championship (Ireland, defence coach)
- 2014 Six Nations Championship (Ireland, defence coach)
Players under Les Kiss
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About Les Kiss
Les Kiss is the head coach of Australia, having taken over from Joe Schmidt after a long and unusual route to the job. Born in Bundaberg in December 1964, he never played professional rugby union at all.
His playing career was in league — a winger for the North Sydney Bears from 1986 to 1993, four State of Origin appearances for Queensland and four Tests for Australia. He crossed codes as a coach, and it is defence that made his name.
Ireland, Ulster and London Irish
Kiss was Ireland’s defence coach from 2008, the central technical figure behind the 2009 Grand Slam and Championship wins in 2014 and 2015, and briefly served as interim head coach. He moved to Ulster as Director of Rugby in 2015, then to London Irish, winning the RFU Championship and promotion in 2019. He returned to Australia to coach the Queensland Reds in 2023 and was confirmed as Wallabies head coach to succeed Schmidt.
Style
His teams are built from the defensive line outward — organised, aggressive off the line, and drilled to force turnovers rather than simply absorb pressure. He is regarded as one of the game’s better man-managers, and the Wallabies job is the first time in a long career that he has been the front man at Test level rather than the specialist beside it.
Frequently asked
Who is the head coach of Australia?
Les Kiss is the head coach of Australia.
When did Les Kiss take charge?
Les Kiss took over at Australia in August 2026.
What is Les Kiss's record?
From 3 matches in our database: 3 wins, 0 draws and 0 defeats — a 100.0% win rate.
What nationality is Les Kiss?
Les Kiss is Australian.
How old is Les Kiss?
Les Kiss is 61 years old.
What has Les Kiss won?
Honours include: RFU Championship (London Irish) (2019), Six Nations Grand Slam (Ireland, defence coach) (2009), Six Nations Championship (Ireland, defence coach) (2015), Six Nations Championship (Ireland, defence coach) (2014).
