Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has officially confirmed he will step down after this year's Rugby Championship, ending months of speculation.
With the search for his successor now officially underway, Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh stated last week that they aim to announce the next head coach early in the Super Rugby season.
With the season kicking off this week, here are our top picks for the six most likely candidates to land the job.
Les Kiss
The top name on pundits' radars at the moment is Les Kiss, the current head coach of the Queensland Reds.
โI think Joe was quite overt that he saw his responsibility in elevating Australian rugby but also providing a platform for an Australian to take over when he does finish up,โ Waugh told reporters in Sydney in December.
Kiss' profile ticks all the right boxes. Despite being homegrown, he built an impressive coaching career overseas, with his work alongside Schmidt further strengthening his credentials.ย
The pair won three Six Nations titles with Ireland (2009, 2012, and 2014), showcasing Kiss' track record of success and valuable connections for the top job.
Dan McKellar
Another leading Australian contender is Waratahs head coach Dan McKellar.
McKellar's successful tenure with the Brumbies led to him working with the Wallabies forwards during Dave Rennie's time.ย
Once considered the frontrunner for the top job before Eddie Jones' surprise appointment, McKellar went overseas before returning to coach the Waratahs.
Michael Cheika
Cheika, who will be a free agent in June after completing his one-year stint with Leicester, is a more complicated case.
The former Wallabies coach was undoubtedly successful, despite his messy exit and burned bridges in 2019.ย
As head coach, he led the Wallabies to a World Cup final and took Argentina to the semi-final.
Ronan O'Gara
Despite Waugh's assertion that Schmidt was preparing the role for an Australian, a lot of the top candidates emerging now are all based overseas.
Ireland legend and La Rochelle head coach Ronan O'Gara, widely regarded as one of the most impressive young coaches in the sport, has confirmed his interest in the Wallabies role.
In a text message to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Ireland great wrote: โYes. Keen. Be a great team to work with.โ
Vern Cotterย
The current Blues coach, fresh off winning the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific, could very well be the dark horse in the coaching race.
Schmidt and Cotter, both New Zealanders, have worked together in France, and Cotter's success with the Blues appears set to continue.
โHe could go back-to-back and easily be one of the favourites for the Wallabies job,โ commentator and ex-player Morgan Turinui said on Stan's Between two Posts podcast.
Warren Gatland
A new hat thrown into the ring is Warren Gatland, the Wales head coach, who announced his departure this week.
Gatland remains the most successful head coach in Wales' international rugby history, despite a recent record-breaking streak of 14 straight losses.
In his initial tenure, Wales won four Six Nations titles, three Grand Slams, and made two World Cup semi-final appearances, while briefly holding the No. 1 spot in the world rankings.
โI've reached the end of this particular chapter," Gatland said, in his stepping-down announcement.ย
"Now is the right time for a change.โ
