Wallabies land former All Blacks assistant as defence coach

McLeod becomes the first addition to incoming Wallabies head coach Les Kiss' backroom staff. He takes over from Laurie Fisher, who will move into a consultancy role.

An experienced coach, McLeod is currently an assistant with Japan Rugby League side Kubota Spears and spent over six years with the All Blacks, including roles at the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups.

"I am very excited to return to international rugby, especially to join up with Les and the team to build on the foundations that have been put in place," McLeod said. "There is a lot of excitement building within Rugby Australia, and I am really committed to doing my part. I'm looking forward to connecting with RA, the players, and everyone invested in this team."

The 53-year-old enjoyed a distinguished playing career, earning 10 Test caps for the All Blacks between 1996 and 1998 and representing the Chiefs in Super Rugby. Following his retirement, he moved into coaching, starting as a skills coach with Waikato in New Zealand's National Provincial Championship before joining the Highlanders' staff and later the All Blacks, where he succeeded Wayne Smith as defence coach.

RA director of high performance Peter Horne said he was eager to welcome McLeod to the Wallabies' coaching setup.

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