The Queensland Rugby Union wishes to farewell and thank Les Kiss following three excellent years as Head Coach of the Queensland Reds.
A proud record of achievements have established the Reds as a consistent finals-quality side and set up the club for future successes.
Three seasons as Reds Head Coach will come to an end over the coming weeks when Kiss helps with the transition to new coach Vern Cotter for 2027-28.
“It has meant so much. I grew up in country Queensland, Bundaberg. To play for the maroon jersey is one thing but to coach the state in this great game of rugby is fantastic,” Kiss said.
Kiss is stepping up to coach the Wallabies as the first Queensland-born Wallabies coach since John Connolly 20 years ago and the first Reds coach to earn the role since Ewen McKenzie in 2013.
“I’m really proud of what we have achieved in many ways over the past three seasons at the Reds,” Kiss said.
“We’ve raised our game against Kiwi teams and the boys deserve to be able to say we are the best Australian club this season. We’ve seen some really good performances and I’m really proud of what the players have achieved.
“We have had 44 debutants for Queensland over the three years. Many have come through the Buildcorp Reds Academy system which plays a great part in our ‘Close The Gap’ philosophy of bringing the standards of all our players up closer to the level of the top team.
“I’m talking of Academy products like Tim Ryan, the Junkyard Dog, Dre Pakeho and, more recently, Treyvon Pritchard and Vaiuta Latu making such an impact as young players.”
Under Kiss and assistant coaches Zane Hilton, Brad Davis and Jonathan Fisher, the Reds have made the qualifying finals of Super Rugby Pacific for three straight seasons. The Reds toppled the defending Super Rugby champions of 2023 (Crusaders), 2024 (Blues), and 2025 (Crusaders) in the following season. The deeper story is how much the Reds' strikepower and success on the road has evolved.
Those three seasons include seven wins over New Zealand sides, including the first win over the Crusaders in Christchurch for 25 years (2024) and the first win over the Highlanders in Dunedin for 12 years (2025). Add the first win in Fiji over the Fijian Drua in 2026.
It has all been achieved as Australian rugby’s most watchable Super Rugby team with the highest number of tries (69) scored by the Reds in a Super Rugby season in 2024 and the second highest (65) in 2025.
On home soil, a thrilling win in Canberra in March set the Reds on a path to claiming the Rod Macqueen Cup with back-to-back wins over the ACT Brumbies for the first time since 2021.
The Templeton Cup, symbol of interstate supremacy, has been won in five of six games against the NSW Waratahs across three years.
“Being a Queenslander, it’s always a massive game against NSW so to have that as a first victory in 2024 was special because it helped solidify early what we were about,” Kiss said with a smile.
Performances on the field have translated to an increased recognition of Reds players at higher levels. In 2025, 14 players represented the Wallabies and seven represented Australia A.
Kiss’ accent on care and connection in the football department was a mantra he spread through other departments at the Queensland Rugby Union. His personable yet perceptive nature and inspiring addresses on team building to commercial partners, for example, were distinctive attributes.
Kiss identified leadership, stability, the benefits of the Reds' international program and greater connection throughout the QRU as areas that will endure beyond his departure.
“As I move into my next role, I know the growth in leadership I’ve seen is a real quality for the Reds,” Kiss said.
“The influence of Tate McDermott and Liam Wright was really positive when I started. You now have Fraser McReight driving the team with support from Tate, Harry Wilson, a Wallabies captain, Jock Campbell, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and other senior players.
“I always say the locker room is the heartbeat of a club. It’s a strong locker room and any team culture needs strong leaders like those men.
“I think some unbelievable connections have been built through the QRU over this period. It’s the way we connect with clubs and schools, stakeholders and through our own commercial department with fantastic partners like BMS.
“A place only goes strongly forward based on the people. There are strong, good people in this club.
"One of the Reds' real points of difference is leading the way with an international program that offers global experiences and player development."
Kiss paid tribute to his assistant coaches. New Wallabies assistant Fisher and Davis are moving on. Hilton and Academy head Dale Robeson remain in their roles.
“Zane and Dale are important parts of the good stability in the transition,” Kiss said.
“Jonathan and Brad joined me at the Reds three years ago from London Irish. The experience they have had here with the Reds will be something they will cherish forever.
"The coaching expertise they brought and delivered was very high quality and I know the players really enjoyed the relationships they built with them. Jon and Brad have been key in the progress we have seen on the field and in the locker room.
"I am proud of what this whole coaching team have delivered over the past few years. They are exceptional coaches and great people."
Kiss said the club is in a very strong position.
"I would like to thank Sam Cordingley and Team Manager Thomas Barker for their unwavering support throughout and acknowledge the wonderful work of everyone in our Reds rugby department," Kiss said.
"I know the players are very hungry to keep growing and I have great confidence in what they can achieve over the next couple of seasons."
Cordingley, Reds General Manager, High Performance, acknowledged the productive work of Kiss and his coaching team over the past three years.
"On behalf of the Queensland Reds, I’d like to thank Les, Jon and Brad for their significant contribution in progressing the Reds program," Cordingley said.
"Les has also been a strong advocate for strengthening the connection between our professional and Academy programs, which have produced so many success stories for the Reds.
"I’d like to congratulate Les and Jon on their appointments to the Wallabies program. We are incredibly proud to see Queensland coaches contributing at the national level and it is particularly significant to see Les become the first Queensland-born coach in some time to lead the Wallabies.
"We also thank Brad for the energy and passion he brought to the program. We wish him and his family every success on their new chapter in Edinburgh."
In farewelling Kiss, QRU Chief Executive David Hanham gave a strong endorsement of his time at the helm of the Reds.
"Les leaves the Reds in a strong position, having elevated performance, evolved our culture and strengthened our game model so we better know the DNA of who we are,” Hanham said.
“We reflect on his successful tenure with pride and appreciation.
"To have such an impact on the culture of an organisation, both the team and the QRU, with his care, connect and challenge philosophy has been a mark of his time.
"We are extremely proud of his transition to the Wallabies through the Queensland system. We understand our part to make Australian rugby stronger and Les' promotion is a great example."
