ACT Brumbies Head Coach Stephen Larkham will lead an experienced Australia A coaching
staff in 2026, alongside Western Force Head Coach Simon Cron and current Wallabies
Head Coach Joe Schmidt.
Larkham has amassed an impressive coaching record across a 16-year career that has
included senior roles with the Wallabies and Munster in addition to his stewardship of the
Brumbies, while Cron led the Force to their best season in 12 years in 2026, winning five of
their last six Super Rugby Pacific matches.
Schmidt, meanwhile, will return to Australian Rugby for the Australia A programme, after
handing over the Wallabies’ Head Coach position to Les Kiss following the Nations
Championship Test against Italy in Perth on July 18.
With more than 100 Tests as Head Coach of Ireland and Australia – in addition to senior
roles with the New Zealand All Blacks and provincial sides ASM Clermont, Leinster and the
Blues – Schmidt will bring plenty of experience and knowledge to Australia A, an important
pillar of Rugby Australia’s High Performance system.
Australia A’s fixtures for 2026 will be released later this month.
By exposing a broader pool of Australian players to an elite-level environment, the
Australia A program is designed to build critical depth and experience ahead of next year’s
home Rugby World Cup.
In recent years, Australia A has provided development opportunities for players, coaches
and staff on tours to Japan, Fiji for the Pacific Nations Cup, and the United Kingdom for
matches against England A and the Bristol Bears.
Rugby Australia Director of High Performance, Peter Horne said: “We are pleased to have
assembled a highly-credentialed and experienced Australia A coaching staff for this year.
“To have Stephen, Simon, and Joe driving this program will ensure our next cohort of
players get access to an elite-level environment where they have the opportunity to grow
and develop their games.
“With the home World Cup firmly on the horizon, building genuine depth is one of our key
priorities and this campaign will allow us to do exactly that.”
