Les Kiss takes control at Ulster after ending Ireland role

Les Kiss has made clear he is now in charge at Ulster after assuming the director of rugby role at Kingspan Stadium earlier this week.

Kiss moved into the Ulster position on Monday after his seven-year stint as Ireland assistant coach ended following the recent World Cup.

The Australian, 50, will lead the coaching team, although Neil Doak's job title remains head coach.

"I'll have my hands over everything," Kiss told BBC Sport NI on Tuesday.

Ulster's last rugby director David Humphreys was not involved in the coaching of the team but Kiss has made clear that he will have a very "hands on" role with the squad.

"I'll be over everything eventually once I get to know everything inside out. Hopefully I can make a contribution," said former Australian Rugby League international Kiss.

Neil Doak's job title at Kingspan Stadium remains head coach

"We've got good coaches here in Neil Doak, Allen Clarke and Joe Barakat and I've had my first meetings with them over the last couple of days.

"They have an idea where I'm going to be injecting myself and that will evolve as I get to know the rugby programme here.

"And they know that I'll be putting myself on the pitch in particular."

After Mark Anscombe's departure from the head coach position in the summer of 2014, Kiss was appointed as Ulster's interim director of rugby for the opening weeks of the 2014-15 season.

Then in October of last year, as he returned to his Ireland post, it was announced that he would take up the Ulster director role full-time following this year's World Cup.

During his playing career, Kiss won four caps for the Australian Rugby League team before coaching stints with rugby league clubs the London Broncos and North Sydney.

He switched to rugby union in 2001 to work as defence coach for the Springboks before a six-year stint as assistant coach at the New South Wales Waratahs was followed by his appointment to Declan Kidney's Ireland set-up in 2009.