‘I’ve something to contribute to Munster’: Avan Lee looks like an excellent appointment

Avan Lee will return to live in Ireland for a third time when he takes up his new role as interim chief executive at Munster Rugby succeeding Ian Flanagan, who held the position since October 2019 and will step away at the end of the month.Lee arrives on October 22nd, two days before Munster take on Leinster in a United Rugby Championship clash at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin. The New Zealander is house-hunting in Cork, but will spend a day or two a week in Limerick.The appointment is for 12 months, but Lee was unequivocal about his desire to win the role on a full-time basis. “It’s 12 months, is the interim, which is whatever you take from that. But ... from my perspective, my attitude is that it’s permanent,” he said.READ MORE“And, you know, once I do a good job, I’m sure that will happen. But I’m not coming over to look at a 12-month job. I feel like I’m leaving New Zealand for this opportunity.”[ ‘Opportunity knocks’: Ian Flanagan’s departure will intensify calls for a Munster reboot ]On the two previous occasions he was based in Dublin, playing rugby and cricket for Clontarf during a seven-year spell in the 1990s in which he met his wife, a Dubliner, and then later he returned for a further three years while working at World Rugby as a commercial manager (2012-2013) initially, then general manager of Sevens (2013-2015).Born in Dargaville, he grew up in Whangarei on New Zealand’s North Island where his dream was to play for the All Blacks, but, as he said in an interview, “that’s akin to saying I wanted to be a superhero, to be honest, because not many people become All Blacks”.He did management studies and marketing at Waikato before travelling to Dublin where he played for Clontarf in a team that contained Bernard Jackman and with Brent Pope as a player-coach.“After university I went straight to Ireland to play rugby. I went straight to Clontarf. I had two phone numbers in my wallet: one was for Old Crescent, one was for Clontarf. It wasn’t anything formal or much money involved, I can assure you, but I went to Clontarf first and stayed. It’s sort of been a second home for me, to be perfectly honest,” Lee said.Avan Lee has fond memories of the Clontarf team that included Bernard Jackman, seen here in 2003. Photograph: Patrick Bolger/INPHO “I didn’t play AIL because, as a foreign player, I wasn’t allowed to play [in accordance with the rules at the time]. I played Leinster League and Floodlit Cup and all those nice things. Then I retired at 23 [due to a] shoulder reconstruction. That was the end of it.“I got there. I flew in on a Tuesday [to Ireland]. Didn’t know anybody and I played at Lansdowne Road on the Saturday. I thought that was pretty good.”His contemporaries in team-mate terms included some well-known names.“Yeah, Bernard Jackman was a bit of a star. Dave Moore, Colin Power, Mark Woods; Brent Pope was sort of a player-coach. Matt Smith ... so it was a good team, a good solid team. They were in the second division then and they got promoted, but I loved it, genuinely loved it. It’s an awesome place, like any rugby club, really, it’s a lovely place [with] awesome people,” he said.“I’ve had two different stints. First one was nearly seven years, and the next one was three when I came back over to work at World Rugby after I finished with New Zealand Rugby.“So, yeah, I’ve always felt like I would go back and now with 10 years of Super Rugby experience under my belt I feel like I’ve got something to contribute to a place like Munster. So it’s all aligned, which is great.”[ Munster’s problems cannot be laid at the door of one person ]Lee spent five years at the New Zealand Rugby Union, three of these as broadcasting and commercial operations manager from 2007-2012, returned to Ireland for a stint with World Rugby and was then appointed CEO at the Wellington-based Super Rugby franchise the Hurricanes in June 2015. He led the club through a significant period of their history, which included a first Super Rugby title in 2016.He stepped down last November after 10-and-a-half years. A tribute paid to Lee from the club read: “Under his guidance, the Hurricanes have developed a diverse commercial network both in New Zealand and abroad, a robust culture, and high-quality playing and coaching rosters, that provide a strong platform for the next chapter of success.”Lee worked as a consultant for World Rugby and was a member of the board of trustees at Special Olympics New Zealand in a part-time capacity. Last year his name was linked in speculative terms with the CEO position at Cricket Ireland.Speaking to those who know him reasonably well, there is a confidence that Munster have got an excellent and very capable administrator.