MELBOURNE : The Queensland Reds have appointed former London Irish boss Les Kiss as head coach on a three-year deal through to 2026, the Australian Super Rugby team said on Thursday.
At London Irish since 2018, Kiss was left looking for a new job after the debt-ridden Exiles were thrown out of the English Premiership last month for failing to pay their players and prove they had a financially viable future.
The 58-year-old Queenslander replaces Brad Thorn, who stepped down at the end of the Super Rugby Pacific season after six years in charge.
“It was an attractive option. The opportunity to return home to Queensland and coach at a successful club in a new world-class facility at Ballymore was something which appealed to me greatly,” Kiss said in a statement.
“The Reds have an exciting roster which I am really looking forward to working with.”
A former assistant coach at Ireland under Declan Kidney and Joe Schmidt, Kiss will take charge of a Reds side coming off a poor 2023.
They finished eighth in 12-team Super Rugby Pacific, knocked out of the quarter-finals after barely scraping into the playoffs with a 5-9 losing record.
The Reds will hope Kiss can turn around the Reds’ fortunes after helping London Irish place fifth in their final season, their best finish since 2009.
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