Rugby-'No rush' for top Wallabies job says McKellar as he quits Brumbies

(Reuters) - Dan McKellar has said he is in no hurry to become Australia's head coach after announcing he would step down from the helm of the ACT Brumbies at the end of next season.

McKellar, who led the Brumbies to the Super Rugby AU title in 2020, is working as an assistant to Wallabies coach Dave Rennie as the Australians prepare for Saturday's opening Bledisloe Cup game against New Zealand in Auckland.

"I'm just focused on coming in here and experiencing international rugby, getting to coach against the All Blacks, and that's a real privilege and obviously coach the Wallabies," McKellar said. "I'm in no rush at all, what will be will be. I'm just really grateful to be here and to coach professionally, full stop."

McKellar has been seconded to work with the Wallabies' forwards and he will take on the role full time until the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France upon his departure from the Brumbies.

His decision to leave the Canberra-based team will bring to an end an association with the Brumbies that goes back to 2014, with McKellar taking over as head coach in 2018.

"(It's been) incredibly tough," the 45-year-old said of his decision to stand down. "I'll be forever grateful to the Brumbies. It's been a huge part of my life, I've spent the best part of a decade in Canberra."

McKellar will be looking for further success in Canberra having led the Brumbies to the semi-finals of Super Rugby in 2019 before taking the team to back-to-back Super Rugby AU Grand Finals in 2020 and 2021.

The Brumbies won the title in 2020 against the Queensland Reds before losing narrowly to the same opponents the next season.

"(I'll) make sure with the Brumbies that final year for myself is a good one," he said. "It's tough because of the love you have for the place and the people that are involved in it. I've got a lot of great memories there up until this point in time and hopefully we can create a few more next year."

(Reporting by Michael Church; Editing by Gerry Doyle)