Wallabies coach-in-waiting Les Kiss says he won't allow his future national duties distract from leading the Queensland Reds.
Speaking at his first official Rugby Australia press conference on Wednesday morning alongside Joe Schmidt, Kiss told media he'll be staying the course at Ballymore as Schmidt continues to build his Wallabies squad heading into a historic British and Irish Lions Series.
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Kiss is scheduled to take over from his long-time colleague in mid-2026 following the conclusion of next year's Super Rugby Pacific season with Schmidt penning another extension through 2025's Spring Tour.
This falls in lockstep with Kiss' Reds contract, which was up for renewal following the 2026 domestic season.
"I'll just do what I'm doing now," Kiss told media on Wednesday morning.
"My job as a Reds coach is obviously to do my best for the Reds in the market there but the stronger we are, the stronger Rugby Australia is and I'm a part of that system to make sure it flourishes.
"I'll just be going back and doing what I can on a weekly and daily basis to build something special there with the people I have around me.
"Part of this process is to make sure that Joe has a good chance to focus on what the Wallabies are on about and my process after this will be going back into the Reds, going to Fiji … and doing a job there.
"Joe's got a job to do with the Lions and the TRC and then the Novembers (Spring Tour) … so I don't see much difference.
"I'm still the Queensland Reds coach and down the road I'll take over from Joe."
Though a flight to Suva beckons with his fourth-placed Reds facing a banana-skin game against the Fijian Drua, Kiss permitted himself a moment's reflection in describing his Wallabies call-up an "honour".
"Just taking on the role is scary but exciting at the same time, it's an honour to do what I'm doing," he said.
"This is a country that expects a lot in the sporting market and I'm very clear with what I want to be able to do with that team but I know that the continuation we're building here, the players have a lot of confidence in what's happening in Australian rugby at the moment.
"I do feel confident that the players will buy pretty quickly into how I do things."
The Reds face a difficult three-week period with away games in Fiji, Sydney and Canberra before hosting the Hurricanes and Drua across the final fortnight of regular season Super Rugby Pacific.
