From Wallabies to Waratahs? Schmidt emerges as option for a NSW coaching role

Could Joe Schmidt go from the Wallabies to the Waratahs in 2027? That’s the question spinning around rugby circles at the moment as Rugby Australia continue their search for a new coach for the struggling NSW franchise.

The Tahs’ head coach job is currently vacant following the reluctant resignation of Dan McKellar last month, with one year left on his three-year contract.

An assortment of good Australian coaches are in the frame, including Stephen Hoiles, Chris Latham, John Manenti, Chris Whitaker and Zak Beer, but another radical option being considered by Rugby Australia involves Schmidt coaching at the Tahs in 2027.

According to multiple informed sources, one path being considered at RA (who own the Waratahs) is appointing an interim coach next year, which would allow for the recruitment of a big-name coach involved at the 2027 Rugby World Cup who would then take over for 2028 and beyond.

Schmidt’s name has been floated for such an interim role, according to the sources, and the ex-Wallabies coach potentially landing at Daceyville has even been a topic of discussion inside the Waratahs’ gym this week.

Schmidt and RA head of high-performance Peter Horne, who is a key figure in the Waratahs’ coach search, have a tight relationship as former colleagues at World Rugby. It was Horne who persuaded Schmidt to take over as the new Wallabies coach in 2004, initially only for 18 months.

Having extended his contract several times, Schmidt finished up with the Wallabies last week and after some leave in Ireland, will be returning to help out on the coaching staff of Australia “A” on their two-game tour of the USA in October.

Schmidt has said repeatedly he doesn’t envisage himself coaching next year, particularly when Irish journalists asked earlier in July if he was interested in returning to powerhouse club Leinster.

Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh has not hidden his desire to keep Schmidt involved in Australian rugby during the World Cup year, and even said in early 2025 they were prepared to be “creative”. But Waugh said recently discussions with Schmidt about his future were not due to be held until late in the year.

“We’ll continue that relationship through the Australia A and then continue discussions for what that may look like afterwards… We’re very fortunate to have had him influence the game here at a time when we definitely needed someone of his ilk to lean in,” Waugh said.

RA declined to comment, with the recruitment process for the Waratahs job still in early stages. Formal applications for the Waratahs job closed on Friday.

An informed source said the more likely scenario involving Schmidt coaching at the Waratahs in 2027, if that played out, would be in a senior consultant role, where he’d assist a new head coach.

The option of the Waratahs using Schmidt, or any other candidate, as a seat-holder for the Tahs in 2027 has been met with scepticism in many corners of NSW rugby, with the belief it would only add more instability, and with RA no guarantee to land a major coaching figure to join after the Rugby World Cup.

Many coaches come off contract after a World Cup but the successful ones worth hiring will look for other Test-level opportunities. Globally, the standing of the Waratahs’ standing as one of the world’s leading franchises has also dropped away this decade, and won’t be as influential as RA may hope.

RA have also been active in the market and engaging with potential candidates but it is unclear if Michael Cheika is one of those, despite a world-class coaching record and the fact his current club, the Roosters, use the cafe underneath Rugby Australia’s offices. Cheika missed out on the Dragons job and while he still harbours ambition to coach in the NRL, he is also contemplating a return to rugby.

Scott Wisemantel was initially seen as a strong target, after coming close to getting the job in 2024. The former Wallabies assistant was even assembling a coaching staff, but Dan McKellar became available and was hired instead. Wisemantel is believed to be staying with the Parramatta Eels.

Hoiles, 44, and Beer, 36, are leading options among a group of rising young coaches who have emerged with Shute Shield success for Randwick and Norths respectively, and in Hoiles’ case, in the MLR as well. The former Wallaby was in the 2014 premiership side.

Easts’ Ben Batger and Warringah’s Josh Holmes are also aseen as homegrown coaches on the rise.

Manenti was one of the last few candidates for the Tahs job in both 2021 and 2024, and few can match his experience as a head coach: he won a Shute Shield with Eastwood, coached the Wallaroos at a World Cup and both the Australian men’s and women’s sevens sides at the Olympics. He is currently coaching Sydney Uni.

Latham is a more left-field smoky, but the former Wallabies fullback has been in coaching roles since 2013, when he began with NTT Docomo as an assistant. Latham has since coached with Samoa, and several clubs in the MLR, including the Chicago Hounds, who went undefeated in winning the MLR title this season.

Waratahs losses ended a winning run, but not hope of another premiership

Waratahs women’s coach Mike Ruthven said there were no concerns about the side’s dynasty starting to crumble when the reigning Super Rugby Women’s champions did something unusual this year.

They lost a game. And not just one, but two in a row.

The Waratahs women are one of the most successful teams in Australian rugby history, having claimed five of the seven Super W/Super Rugby Women’s titles since 2018. They won 20 games in a row, and four titles, before Fiji knocked them off in 2022.

The Fijiana Drua became a tough rival for NSW, and won titles in 2022 and 2023, but against their domestic rivals, the Tahs had never lost a game, in 25 fixtures.

In June, however, the Waratahs were knocked off by the Western Force for the first time, and then a week later Queensland got their first win over NSW too.

The Tahs had excuses – notably many stars out with injuries – but the consecutive defeats still gave heart to rivals and prompted questions about whether NSW’s dominance had suddenly flamed out.

Internally, however, it was a different story and even amid this strange sensation called losing, Ruthven said there was never any fear at the Waratahs that the end days had arrived.

“Absolutely not – we always remained really confident in the group that had and really confident in our capability,” Ruthven said. “There’s never been a concern or energy wasted on that stuff.

“We have never really been an outcome or result-driven footy team. The priority and the focus has always been around performance. So, the reflection was those two performances weren’t where wanted them to be … and there were aspects of those games we felt that, we put ourselves under pressure, more so than the opposition.

“There was never a psychological burden or hangover around losing. It was just important that we reflected really well and had really tangible things that could go and invest our energy and time into.

“And as a coaching group and particularly the players, they did an excellent job of that. We got on witg it. And we never lost confidence in what were capable of.”

The losses didn’t deny the Waratahs a spot in the semi-finals, and they duly bounced back and dispatched the Force 33-22 in Perth last weekend. The win earned them a spot in the Grand Final against the Fijiana Drua, held in Ba on Saturday (11am AEST).

It is the third decider between the two sides but will be their first competition game played in Fiji (they played out a 27-all draw in Suva in the preseason). NSW can win a seventh Super Rugby women’s premiership.

One of the key players for the Waratahs will be a halfback who only made her Super Rugby debut last weekend against the Force: halfback Tia Hinds.

The Australian sevens star, who has also played 10 Tests as a utility for the Wallaroos, joined NSW this year, but only returned to action after a calf injury last weekend.

With eyes-up play straight from the sevens field, Hinds was brilliant and scored two tries running from the ruck.

“She just showed everybody what a talented rugby player she is, and what’s exciting around the possibility for that cross-format opportunity for players,” Ruthven said.

Along with young five-eighth Waiaria Ellis, Hinds can unlock a star back three of Desi Miller, Maya Stewart and Caitlyn Halse, who also returns from injury. But those weapons will only be effective if the Tahs forwards get move the ball and get on top of Fijiana’s strong pack, said Ruthven.

“Our forwards will be a huge reason why perform well tomorrow,” he said. “They’re certainly going to have to front up physically.”

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