logo
Kiss says 'honour of a lifetime' to coach Wallabies at home World Cup

Kiss says 'honour of a lifetime' to coach Wallabies at home World Cup

France 2430-04-2025

A former Ireland assistant under Schmidt, Kiss currently coaches Queensland Reds in Super Rugby.
"This is a country that expects a lot in the sporting market, for sure, and I am very clear what I want to do with that team," Kiss told reporters in Sydney, promising a smooth handover next year.
"The players have a lot of confidence in what's happening in Rugby Australia at the moment. I am not here to 'rip and tear'.
"I am going to make sure that I dovetail as much as I can. And I will bring my points of difference into play, but we have a lot of things in common."
Kiss, who played rugby league for Australia, is the fifth coach named to lead the Wallabies in six years after Michael Cheika, Dave Rennie, Eddie Jones and Schmidt.
New Zealander Schmidt had been due to step aside after the Rugby Championship later this year, but agreed to extend his tenure until he can hand over the coaching role to Kiss, Rugby Australia said.
"My intention to finish at the end of this year's Rugby Championship has been adjusted to fit with Les's availability," said Schmidt, who has presided over six Test wins and seven defeats.
He took over after Jones' disastrous second stint in charge when Australia failed to get to the knockout stage at the 2023 World Cup.
'Exciting time'
Kiss spent eight years with Ireland as assistant coach, helping them to Six Nations Championships in 2009, 2014, 2015, and a Grand Slam in 2009. Schmidt was Ireland head coach from 2013-19.
"To coach our national team through such an important period, highlighted by a home Rugby World Cup in 2027, is the honour of a lifetime and an opportunity I am truly grateful for," said Kiss.
"It's an incredibly exciting time for Australian Rugby and I am humbled by the opportunity to serve as Wallabies head coach from next year," Kiss said.
"Joe and I have a strong relationship and a long history of working together, and I am looking forward to building upon the excellent foundations he has laid with the Wallabies."
Kiss can now see out his club contract in Queensland, meaning Rugby Australia will avoid paying an expensive release fee to the Reds.
"I am thrilled to continue with the Reds for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season before transitioning into the Wallabies environment," said Kiss
Kiss returned to Australia in 2023 after stints as director of rugby at Irish club Ulster, as head coach of London Irish and as an assistant coach with Ireland.
Kiss will take over after a long coaching career that started in rugby league with the London Broncos in 1999.
He worked as a defence coach for South Africa in 2001–02, and was an assistant with the NSW Waratahs from 2002 until 2008, helping them reach two Super Rugby finals.
Schmidt announced in February he would step down after leading the Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions and the Rugby Championship later this year but will now stay on until to enable Kiss to finish his contract with the Reds.
"It has certainly been a privilege to be involved with the Wallabies," said Schmidt.
© 2025 AFP

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Scheffler set for 'hardest' test at Oakmont for US Open
Scheffler set for 'hardest' test at Oakmont for US Open

France 24

time11 hours ago

  • France 24

Scheffler set for 'hardest' test at Oakmont for US Open

Lightning-fast sloped greens combined with deep, dense rough and bunkers designed to leave balls along the edges had many players calling it the toughest layout they have faced as Oakmont hosts a record 10th US Open. "This is probably the hardest golf course that we'll play, maybe ever," said Scheffler, who won last month's PGA Championship for his third major title, ahead of Thursday's opening round. Second-ranked Rory McIlroy, who won the Masters in April to complete a career Grand Slam, called Oakmont a "big brute" and added: "You're going to have to have your wits about you this week all the way." Not since American Jordan Spieth captured the 2015 Masters and US Open has anyone won consecutive majors, but two-time Masters winner Scheffler is on a hot streak. Scheffler has won three of his past four starts, matching a PGA Tour record for low 72-hole total to take the Byron Nelson and defending his Memorial title 10 days ago in addition to his major triumph. "He's in the middle of every fairway," third-ranked Xander Schauffele said of Scheffler. "It takes a serious amount of discipline to play away from pins and hit really good shots to safe targets, and that's what it takes to play well at US Opens." Three-time major winner Spieth said most players will pitch onto fairways from the thick rough rather than try to blast out short of the green. "It magnifies once you make a mistake if you don't play the right shot," Spieth said. "It may cost you half a shot to get back in the fairway a little further up. "They give you more green here to entice you into doing more than you should. There's some risk-reward on this place. You've got to avoid compounding mistakes for sure." Finding the fairway is crucial, McIlroy said. "Decent lies in the rough are few and far between," McIlroy said. "You don't want to ride your luck on this golf course. "You hit the ball in the rough and you're not going to have any control of your ball going into the green, especially these greens that are pitched away from you. "You have to be able to spin the ball going into these greens if you want it to finish anywhere close to where you want." 'There was no loft' And sometimes the rough just wins. "I had some lies that were not playable," fourth-ranked Collin Morikawa said of his time in the rough during practice rounds. "There was no loft." Scheffler, who turns 29 the Saturday after the tournament, made his major debut at Oakmont at the 2016 US Open, missing the cut as a 19-year-old amateur with his older sister Callie serving as his caddie. One year later, Scheffler was low amateur at the US Open and five years after that, he was a Masters champion. "I remember coming here and thinking it was really fun, really cool to be able to play in the US Open," Scheffler said. "But what I really remembered was coming back the next year and ... finishing low am." Scheffler also recalled rushing off the course to watch game six of the 2016 NBA Finals, when LeBron James led Cleveland to victory on the way to taking the title over Stephen Curry and Golden State. "This year's finals is probably not going to affect my schedule as much," Scheffler said. "Golden State was playing Cleveland and I really wanted to watch that because you had LeBron playing Steph." The devoted Dallas Mavericks fan has struggled since his team traded star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Uzbekistan celebrates debut World Cup qualification with Qatar victory
Uzbekistan celebrates debut World Cup qualification with Qatar victory

Euronews

time11 hours ago

  • Euronews

Uzbekistan celebrates debut World Cup qualification with Qatar victory

Uzbekistan celebrated becoming the first ever Central Asian nation to qualify for the football World Cup with a 3-0 victory over Qatar in their final group game. The White Wolves had already secured their place at the 2026 finals last Thursday following a 0-0 draw with the United Arab Emirates. The result guaranteed them one of the two top spots in Group A of the World Cup Asian qualifiers, alongside Iran. Prior to this campaign, Uzbekistan had failed on seven occasions to qualify for the World Cup since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The team's only major triumph previously had been winning the men's football tournament at the Asian Games in 1994. Tuesday's win over Qatar at the Bunyodkor Stadium, in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent, was secured with goals by Eldor Shomurodov, Igor Sergeev and Aziz Turgunboev. Uzbekistan ended in second place in Group A with 21 points, behind Iran on 23 points. Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev watched the match, and was photographed sitting alongside the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, and the President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, as well as several heads of government from Central Asia. Fico, Radev and dozens of foreign officials and international investors attended the Tashkent International Investment Forum earlier on Tuesday. Before the match, Uzbekistan Football Association President Bakhodir Kurbanov and the country's Sports Minister Adkham Ikramov presented medals to the team's staff. Following the game, President Mirziyoyev gave out awards and gifted cars to the players as a reward for qualifying. "They showed true courage and perseverance and our people realized that their dream comes true", Mirziyoyev said. "I am convinced that this historical achievement combines our people in the way of noble goals, a symbol of inspiration for thousands of young people, to further increase the international Uzbek prestige," he added. The government has invested in the country's football development since 2018, which included the opening of football academies for young players in 14 regions nationwide. In December 2019, Mirziyoyev signed a decree to improve the standard and development of football, including preparing national teams for international tournaments. Uzbekistan last year qualified for the Olympic Games football tournament for the first time. With Asia now having eight guaranteed qualifiers in the new 48-team World Cup — compared to just four in the 32-team format that ended in 2022 with the Qatar tournament — Uzbekistan was a likely contender to step up. While most of its team plays in the country's domestic league, it includes a few Europe-based stars like Roma forward Eldor Shomurodov and Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov. The 2026 World Cup will be held next June in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Austria is observing three days of national mourning for 10 people killed after a gunman attacked a high school in the southern city of Graz. The incident in Austria's second-largest city of some 300,000 was the deadliest mass shooting in the Alpine country's recent history. Police are investigating why the gunman, identified by authorities as a former student at the school who failed to graduate, may have carried out the attack. The perpetrator, identified by Austrian media as "Artur A", had no prior criminal record. He reportedly took his own life in the school bathroom after carrying out the attack. During a search of the alleged perpetrator's house, the police found plans for an explosive attack as well as a non-functioning pipe bomb. They also found a digital and handwritten suicide note addressed to the perpetrator's parents. "No motive can be taken from the farewell letter so far," Director of Public Security Franz Ruf told public broadcaster ORF on Tuesday evening. Local media speculated that years of bullying may have been a possible motive for the massacre. By Wednesday morning, the authority that runs hospitals in Graz said that all patients were in stable condition. Nine were still in intensive care units, with one needing a further operation on a facial wound and a second on a knee injury, while another two had been moved to regular wards. Local media report that the 21-year-old lived with his mother. A neighbour told OE24 that 'he was completely introverted.' The suspected gunman was in possession of two firearms which were seized by police after the attack. He had legally acquired both weapons and had reportedly passed the psychological evaluation required in Austria to obtain a so-called 'Category B' firearm possession card. In Austria, weapons are traditionally carried for hunting rather than for self-defence. Some weapons, such as rifles and shotguns, can be purchased from the age of 18 without a permit. Other weapons, such as repeating shotguns or semi-automatic firearms, are more difficult to acquire — buyers need a gun ownership card and a firearms pass. The rare shooting, which has led to an outpouring of grief and shock in Austria, is likely to prompt a domestic debate over whether arms should be restricted, which has more liberal gun laws and high private gun ownership relative to the rest of Europe. The mayor of the city of Graz, Elke Kahr, has already called for a complete ban on private weapons. Gun licenses are "issued too quickly," she said in the aftermath of the tragedy. The case would be examined and gaps would be closed, Ruf said. The perpetrator was not allowed to carry the weapons outside of his home, he added. Local media speculated that the school was unprepared for an attack of this scale, given that school shootings are rare in Austria. Director of Public Security Franz Ruf stated that investigations will be launched to explore how schools can better implement preventive and protective measures to avoid similar tragedies in the future. Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker called the tragedy "incomprehensible". "Schools must remain places of peace – places where children can grow and learn," he said. The government added that numerous crisis intervention teams have been set up to support the victims and their families, including a hotline for those affected. "The school must be a safe place for everyone, where students can develop. Everyone who needs help after today's crime should get help," Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr said.

Tuchel wants Bellingham to inspire, not intimidate England team-mates
Tuchel wants Bellingham to inspire, not intimidate England team-mates

France 24

time12 hours ago

  • France 24

Tuchel wants Bellingham to inspire, not intimidate England team-mates

Tuchel suffered his first defeat in four games as England boss on Tuesday when Senegal became the first African side to ever beat the Three Lions in a 3-1 friendly win. Bellingham thought he had made it 2-2 late on at Nottingham Forest's City Ground only for the goal to be controversially disallowed before Senegal broke away for a third in stoppage time. Tuchel had to restrain Bellingham's protests at the decision at full-time and said it is a balancing act to retain the 21-year-old's fight without it bubbling over. "He has a certain something and brings an edge. It's needed if we want to achieve big things," Tuchel told talkSPORT. "It needs to be channelled towards the opponent and towards our goal, and not to intimidate team-mates or be aggressive towards team-mates or referees but always on winning. "He has the fire -- I don't want to dim that, he should play with that as that's his strength. "But the fire comes also with some attribute that can intimidate team-mates. Sometimes you see the explosion towards referees and the anger in his game. "If he can channel this in the right way he has something that we need and that edge is hard to find." Tuchel, who won the Champions League at Chelsea and league titles with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, was hired with the task of ending England's wait for a major tournament victory since 1966. Under Gareth Southgate they reached the final of each of the last two Euros, plus a quarter-final and semi-final of the past two World Cups. Tuchel has a richly talented squad to choose from but has so far failed to find the right blend in three underwhelming World Cup qualifying wins over Albania, Latvia and Andorra before the Senegal defeat. "I already have an idea of what to do," he added with one year to go till the 2026 World Cup begins. "We did some experiments in the second camp, not everything was bad, we did some good things but the two games were not good enough. "It was a good learning and it brings clarity. Each game is a learning situation and helps us mould the team and find solutions." © 2025 AFP

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store