Western Force coach Simon Cron and Queensland Reds assistant Zane Hilton have been added to the coaching staff for the AUNZ Invitational XV team to face the British & Irish Lions in Adelaide.
New Zealand-born Cron has been at the helm of the Force since 2023, building a formidable squad in the west.
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He was re-signed by the club a year later until the end of the 2026 season after narrowly missing out on the finals in his maiden year.
Meanwhile, Hilton will follow Kiss to the AUNZ staff after helping the Reds make the finals in 2025.
Hilton, an assistant coach with the Queensland Reds, has compiled a unique coaching resume across Italy, Japan, Samoa and Tonga.
The pair joins head coach Les Kiss and fellow assistant coach Ian Foster as part of the coaching staff for the match on July 12.
Kiss was confirmed as coach of the AUNZ side earlier in the month, with Foster announced as part of the set-up back in March.
“We are excited to assemble an experienced coaching panel of Australian and New Zealand leaders under Les Kiss for what promises to be a thrilling game between the AUNZ Invitational XV and the Lions,” RA Head of High Performance Peter Horne said.
“This will be the first time a combined Australian and New Zealand has taken the field since 1989 and the strength of this coaching staff is befitting such an occasion.
“For Les, the opportunity to coach against the British and Irish Lions twice on this tour will no doubt prove a unique and beneficial experience and add to his outstanding international coaching resume which has included senior roles with the Springboks and Ireland ahead of his transition to the Wallabies’ Head Coach position next year.
“Ian Foster will no doubt provide a wealth of knowledge and experience to Les and the squad, having served as Attack Coach for the All Blacks during the Lions’ tour of New Zealand in 2017 among his many other international accomplishments.
“Les and Ian will be joined by two outstanding leaders from within the Australian High Performance system, Simon Cron and Zane Hilton, who will add tremendous insight and energy to the AUNZ Invitational XV squad for a match against the Lions in Adelaide that will be one of the highlights of the global rugby calendar this year.”
