The future of the Wallabies has been finally secured until 2028 - with Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss formally unveiled as the successor to Joe Schmidt at a rain soaked Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
It was not the only surprise, with Schmidt confirmed to extend his time as head coach until the conclusion of the World Nations Cup in July 2026.
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Flanked by Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh and Director of High Performance Peter Horne, Kiss revealed that his primary focus until then will be seeing out his contract at the Reds, before pivoting over following the completion of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.
The result allows Kiss to complete his contract with the Reds - and gives the Queensland side over 12 months to lay the groundwork with Kiss for a replacement.
It was a moment of deja vu on several fronts - with Schmidt having a long friendship with Kiss as head coach of Ireland, while Waugh, as a player, previously worked under Kiss when he was at the Waratahs.
"I think we've ended up in our desired solution," said Waugh.
"In terms of that continuation of growth at the Reds under Les' leadership - and then Joe spending more time with the group for a longer period of time through to the end of July 2026 - then a seamless transition, I think that we've ended up in a really good solution.
"I did joke [with Les] when we walked in saying 'welcome home' but it's great to have someone who's been embedded in the system for a long period of time, understands the history of Australian rugby, and has spent time offshore.
"We've ended up in a really elegant solution here which provides certainty."
Having previously distanced himself from the role earlier in 2025, Kiss revealed it was the open, collaborative process between all parties that enticed him to reconsider.
"Phil, Peter [Horne] and Dan [Herbert] have been fantastic," the incoming Wallabies coach admitted.
"I'm really comfortable about the process, I'm really comfortable in terms of understanding where I'll land with this. Talking to the players at the Reds, I'd imagine there's some good conversations happening in the other states as well.
"It's an important period and we've got good people working away to make sure we get that right.
"Going through the chats and the odd chat with Joe as well, it gives me a lot of confidence about where Australian rugby is going. Those are things that are massively important and underpin what we do.
"It's not just about one person, it's a team and it's a powerful team that we have together. The players have a lot of confidence in what's happening in Australian rugby at the moment.
"I'm not here to rip and tear, I'm going to make sure I dovetail as much as I can and I'll bring my points of difference into play but we [Joe] have a lot of things in common."
When pressed about how the transition process with be enacted, Kiss revealed that his primary focus for the next twelve months will be the Reds - but that systems brought into place under Joe's tenure will form a major part of the handover.
"I'll be focused on the Reds and making sure that that process goes on," said Kiss.
"My job as a Reds coach is to obviously do my best for the Reds - the stronger we are, the stronger Rugby Australia is. I'm part of that system to make sure that it flourishes.
"I've got some great people in my professional rugby department there as well, we'll continue to do our job because that's only going to serve us down the road. Obviously with the Lions series coming up and other important test matches through the end of the year, I know my remit.
"We [Joe] chat often anyway, that's a continuing process. We've got the right common ground in what we do. I think we've got the right things around the key areas, the key tenets of the game, I think that's important."
Horne revealed that a wide net was cast for the Wallabies role - but Les quickly emerged as the leading candidate.
"We had a fairly large long list to start off with - but it got pretty short pretty quick," said Horne.
"You're looking for things around connection, how we can keep people together, where we've got alignment of philosophy, and a real passion around working with people.
"We fell on Les as the primary candidate."
Schmidt was also confirmed to extend until 2026 with his family set to spend more time in Sydney - but confirmed this second extension would likely be his last - was excited to orchestrate a handover to his former Ireland assistant coach.
"I stayed out of [the process] as much as possible," said Schmidt.
"I'm delighted with what the outcome is. I know Les really well. We coached together and had a bit of success during that period. I do think that allows continuity.
"The family situation, I feel that I'm getting some balance in supporting my wife and her commitment to looking after our son and our son getting a bit of growth at the same time.
"I think it's a great outcome for me personally and my family. It's one that's not too much of a stretch to stay in the role."
For Schmidt, however, his primary focus is now to shift to preparations for the Lions, with squad preparations taking shape as Super Rugby Pacific nears its conclusion.
"Last year was a bit transformational because we had 19 debutants. There's a foundation - but I'm acutely aware that there's still a massive calendar coming up.
"There's a lot of hard work to do."
