Rugby Australia confirm Joe Schmidt as Eddie Jones’ Wallabies successor

Rugby Australia has today confirmed the appointment of former World Rugby Coach of the Year Joe Schmidt as Eddie Jones’ successor as the Wallabies’ head coach until at least the end of the 2025 British and Irish Lions Tour.

Schmidt, who was crowned the world’s best coach in 2018, enjoyed a historic six-year stint as Ireland’s head coach which saw the men in green beat the All Blacks for the first time.

Ireland also claimed three Six Nations titles – including the Grand Slam in 2018 – won in South Africa for the first time, and rose to world number one status in 2019 during Schmidt’s decorated reign.

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But left Ireland after their quarter-final exit at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, and wouldn’t link up with an international side again before joining the All Blacks. The New Zealand-born coach was an assistant under Ian Foster during last year’s run to the final.

Outside of the international game, Schmidt also led Leinster to two European titles in the Heineken Cup, as well as both a Challenge Cup and Pro 14 titles in 2013.

Schmidt has long proven himself to be one of the premier coaches in international rugby, and his appointment as the Wallabies’ third coach in as many years should be seen as a step in the right direction for Australian rugby.

“I am conscious that the Wallabies have weathered a difficult period, and I am keen to help them build a way forward, with greater alignment and clear direction from RA,” Schmidt said in a statement.

“The upcoming Test matches against Wales will arrive quickly, post-Super Rugby, and the program through to the British and Irish Lions Tour next year presents plenty of opportunities and challenges – which I am sure will invigorate players and staff.

“I am looking forward to connecting with Super Rugby coaches, RA staff, and getting to observe and meet players in the coming months.”

Under former coach Eddie Jones, who replaced his predecessor Dave Rennie just 12 months ago, the Wallabies only two of nine Tests in 2023.

Wins over Georgia and Portugal couldn’t save the Aussies from a history-making pool stage exit at last year’s World Cup, which included a record 40-6 loss to Wales in Lyon.

But Joe Schmidt’s coaching CV speaks for itself. With Australian rugby looking to turn things around, Schmidt’s appointment puts the Wallabies “in a strong position” ahead of the Lions Tour next year.

“Joe has delivered success at every stop in his career – winning European titles with Leinster, winning Six Nations championships, leading Ireland to World number one for the first time and, most recently, his role in the All Blacks’ run to the Rugby World Cup final,” Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh said.

“He has also been a World Coach of the Year after he won the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2018.

“Given our stated plan to build a unified Australian rugby system, Joe’s experience with Ireland and New Zealand – two of the most aligned Rugby nations in the world – will no doubt prove valuable as we move forward.

“He has a global view of the game and his experience in both the northern and southern hemispheres, and his appointment puts us in a strong position as we build towards the 2025 British and Irish Lions Tour.”

Rugby Australia’s incoming director of high performance, Peter Horne, has revealed it was “a unanimous decision to appoint Joe” after a thorough recruitment process that included Wallabies greats.

“It has been a thorough process to make sure that we have landed the best and most suitable candidate – conducted by a panel including Dan Herbert and Phil Waugh, Joe Roff, John Eales, David Nucifora, RA’s head of people and culture and myself,” Horne added.

“It was a unanimous decision to appoint Joe – everyone on the panel was impressed by his demeanour, his calm and logical approach to the game, as well as his communication style.

“Throughout his career, Joe has demonstrated an ability to take a leadership role in structural reform while developing a strong culture and world-class players.

“From my personal experience working with Joe at World Rugby, he is an ideal fit for the Wallabies and Australian rugby at this time, and I am looking forward to working closely with him on developing a stronger alignment with our Super Rugby clubs to maximise our performance.”