Wallabies Coach Les Kiss: The Road Ahead for Australian Rugby & the 2027 World Cup
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Who is Les Kiss and how did his Bundaberg upbringing shape his rugby career?
Let's kiss.
Welcome straight to it, mate. Um, thanks, mate. I've I'm really looking forward to this one for sure. Um, thanks for having me.
You're welcome. Um Well, I mean like a lot of people don't know your story. Um Yeah, that's where I wanna start. Like Where does L Les Kiss come from, like, initially? Like where'd you where'd you grow up? Um we all know you have played rugby lead, we'll talk about that in a moment. But like like who who's the kid?
Yeah, it was basically a Bundy Kid, really, Bundeberg. Um yeah, that's where I uh started my rugby league and um You know, things grew from that s that space. Um, you know, someone like uh Tony Ray, I'm not sure if you know Tony Ray. I played with the Nil Sydney Bears, he had a lot to do with the London Broncos. Uh his father was um, you know, a fairly important figure of mine. I met him at he was a a teacher at school. He got me going in into rugby league and um into a deeper way and and helped promote my career and my m m uh Uh where I went in the future. Uh so I had a big influence from someone like John Ray. Uh
it's funny how it was your teacher? Yes. It's funny how teachers can have a massive impact on us. Um like uh So can to some extent um
How did Les Kiss progress from school footy to playing State of Origin for Queensland?
can m mould us. And and to a large extent as a coach or a little bit like a teacher, but we'll come back to that in a moment. But What impact did school and teaching have on you relative to who Les Kiss is is today?
Yeah. Yeah, well I wasn't overly academic, that's for sure. Um, I was curious. I I wasn't smart, all those things, but um I was more interested in the um uh the sport side of things. Contact sports or just contact all sports. Uh I would have done, you know, every event in in athletics. Um I would have played soccer in the backyard or yet i around lunchtime or played touch. Uh I never got to kick a uh Aussie rules football around 'cause it wasn't as huge back in those days. Um cricket was massive. Um if anything I grew up wanting to be Dennis Lilly. Of all things. But uh you've got the mustache. Yeah, I've got yeah. I I just don't have that um you know that that arm that just came down and put fear in guys, uh but you know, th I I think it's representative of a lot of us, um, you know
We're a country that's rich in many sports and we expose ourselves to many different sports. It's certainly in more recent times, you know, parents will channel their child into into a certain area. But I still think we have that wonderful exposure visually, uh television. Um in all forms that we we get exposed to a lot of different sports and it uh I think it's it's massively unique for us. Like if you're a a Kiwi you probably play cricket or rugby, nothing else. You know what I mean? In in other countries you probably play one or two. Yeah, we're exposed to so many different sports and and I was no different um with my mates back then and uh yeah school was important. Uh played school footy, uh first thirteen uh rugby league and um played
the past brothers rugby league club in Bundy and uh that that was my trajectory into into the the big league in Brisbane.
So I I don't know much about Bundaberg. Um I I I've been there once, but I s when I h hear about Bundaburg I I think of a a sugar town, like I I think of um Sugane and Sugane Mills and all that sort of stuff. Tell me a little bit about what it was like growing up in Bundaberg. What do you learn from places like that? I mean, here you are on the big stage. You know, they coach to the Australian ti side. Um in some respects when you think about it, a kid from Bundaburg's now, you know, coaching the Wallabies but and about to go into the World Cup in twenty twenty seven. But That in itself must freak out a little bit.
Yeah, a lot of uh WTF moments for sure. Yeah. The missus will go, What the f F you know I mean? Totally. Yeah, because it wasn't this was not a plan at all. Um but you know, i I I think most most of us who grew up in in in regional country areas in Australia have um You know, we aspire to be something through sport. Um Is that right? Do you think so? Well I think a lot of people did in it and it has become broader I guess as more educational opportunities and for for youngsters to to grow through sport.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Who is Les Kiss and how did his Bundaberg upbringing shape his rugby career?
0:00–1:10
2
How did Les Kiss progress from school footy to playing State of Origin for Queensland?
1:10–10:36
3
What prompted Les Kiss to move from playing to coaching after his knee injuries?
10:36–22:00
4
Which coaching roles and overseas experiences (Springboks, Ireland, London Irish) influenced Les Kiss’s philosophy?
22:00–34:26
5
How does Les Kiss compare the tactical and technical differences between rugby league and union?
34:26–46:29
6
What lessons does Les Kiss draw from South Africa’s depth‑building model for Australian rugby?
46:29–57:19
7
How is Les Kiss planning to develop player depth and prepare the Wallabies for the 2027 home World Cup?
57:19–1:04:50
8
What mindset and personal habits does Les Kiss use to stay focused and lead the Wallabies?
1:04:50–1:05:33
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