Rugby Australia has announced ACT Brumbies head coach Stephen Larkham will lead the Australia A coaching staff in 2026.
It comes as the organisation confirms Joe Schmidt will be involved as an assistant coach, keeping him in the system following his departure as Wallabies coach in July.
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The two will be joined by Western Force coach Simon Cron, who recently re-signed for the 2027 season, with Australia A's fixtures to be confirmed later in the month.
Larkham has built an impressive coaching CV since his playing career, including serving as assistant coach for the Wallabies.
The Brumbies legend took over at the club where he made his name in 2023 after a stint in Ireland.
Since then, he has guided them to two semi-final appearances in Super Rugby Pacific, most recently knocked out in the qualifying finals.
The appointment of Schmidt is a massive boost for the Australia A program and Australian Rugby, keeping him in the system before next year's World Cup.
Schmidt will step down as Wallabies coach following the Nations Championship Test against Italy in Perth on July 18.
Cron rounds out the staff, having just led the Force to their best season in 12 years in 2026, winning five of their last six Super Rugby Pacific matches.
"We are pleased to have assembled a highly-credentialed and experienced Australia A coaching staff for this year," RA Director of High Performance Peter Horne said.
“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."
