Munster interim chief executive Avan Lee: ‘There have been issues, you don’t want that going forward’

Munster’s new interim chief executive Avan Lee gave a media briefing on Wednesday morning about his background, his rugby bona fides, priorities and aspirations for the province when he starts on October 21st, and why he’s returned to Ireland. What attracted you to the role?“As a rugby fan, growing up in New Zealand, you know about Munster. You know about the history, you know they beat the All Blacks, so there’s always been a bit of a mystique around it. There’s obviously been some change, some challenges. But there’s a big opportunity here to make a difference and make Munster better; produce teams that the fans and the community love. “They do now, but can it be in more numbers? That’s really the motivation, to be honest. I’ve worked in rugby for 20 years, [have] a strong connection with Ireland. Ten and a half years as a CEO at Super Rugby. It just feels like the right time to take those skills to Europe and, ideally, Ireland, which has worked.”How did the job come across your radar?“Given my background in Ireland, family, etc, I’ve always thought about heading back to that part of the world and working in rugby again. It goes back probably five or six years with [the late] Philip Browne and then Kevin Potts, just staying in touch.READ MORE“I finished with the Hurricanes at Christmas and then just let Kevin know that I was looking. I did some consultancy for World Rugby, a few other things. I’ve been in a lot of ways, ready to go. [I’m] very passionate about Ireland and Irish rugby. The right opportunity came up and we’re just sort of making it happen as a family.”What are the big-ticket items on your agenda that Munster need to fix, notwithstanding that you haven’t yet seen the governance review?“It needs a non-financial audit, to sit down and go through the whole organisation, the systems, the structure. Is it high performing? Is the whole organisation high performing? Is it aligned? I’ve read a lot of commentary in the media, which is fine. But obviously, with the IRFU and with Munster Rugby board, I need to work through that stuff myself.“Clearly, there are some challenges, and there have been some issues [that I am aware of] through the media. And obviously, you don’t want that going forward. You want to draw a line under some of that stuff and focus on the positives and how you make the organisation better.“Certainly, from the review, I’ve not seen a word, so it’s not fair for me to comment on what I think might be in it. I genuinely don’t know.”Munster head coach Clayton McMillan. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho In the press release, it mentions everyone getting behind a shared ambition. What is that in your mind?“For me, it’s about galvanising the community of Munster and Munster rugby fans behind the organisation and the teams. I haven’t started, so I’m not going to be too specific yet, because I don’t necessarily know the answer. But it’s obvious there’s been some controversy, some stories through the media, and people being critical of Munster rugby.“So, clearly going forward, that’s not acceptable. You know, the organisation needs to be performing. And you want your fans to love the teams. For me it’s about alignment of vision, values, culture, whatever words you want to use, because if you’re not really effective in all those areas, it’s difficult to be successful.”Do you have a relationship with head coach Clayton McMillan? Do you know him well, or do you know much of him?“I’ve met Clayton a couple of times in New Zealand, obviously, been in his company several times at various meetings. I spoke to him earlier, so we had a conversation. I’ve spoken to Ian Costello and Tadhg Beirne in the last one and a half, or two hours. I’m getting a good feel for the people of Munster and what they’re looking for.”What has been your impression from afar on how Irish rugby has gone about its business and the system that you’re coming into? “Irish rugby has been very strong for the last decade on the field. The people I’ve met from the IRFU and Munster have been extremely impressive across the board, and very supportive of what I’m going to do and what I need to do. So, I couldn’t be more impressed with the people that have given me this opportunity and that have supported me already.”Do you have any intention of perhaps sitting down with some of Munster’s recent critics, former players, that have spoken out about their concerns about the province and the way it’s run?“Yes, absolutely. I’ve already reached out. I’ve connected with Peter O’Mahony and Donncha O’Callaghan. I would have done so even if Peter hadn’t said the sort of comments he said in the last week.[ Avan Lee appointed interim chief executive of MunsterOpens in new window ]“Having a connection with past players is critical. You’re never going to please everybody all the time, but I think it’s important to have those kinds of people inside the camp. Peter obviously had a fantastic career. He’s got a lot to offer. He loves Munster. “He’s a natural person for me to sit down and talk to and, I guess, understand what it means for him to be part of Munster and what he wants Munster to look like. I think ultimately, is there some sort of a role for a guy like Peter? I think it would be a real shame if there wasn’t in some capacity [a role]; that would be difficult to understand, if he wanted to.”Munster's Charlie O’Shea scores a try against the Bulls. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho You had some good times with the Hurricanes but any parallels with where Munster are now?“Yeah, I think so. My perception of Munster is there’s a bit of a disconnect between high-performance rugby and business and that was exactly the same when I joined the Hurricanes. I come from a commercial business background, but I have obviously worked in high performance for 20 years, so I do understand both and it’s critical to have alignment between the two.“That would be the most obvious one. Second to that, and not less important, is the importance of recruitment, pathway development, and bringing players through for four, five, six years together. The Hurricanes have just won Super Rugby, and that’s a major reason why we did. “We had, I think, five All Blacks when I started. When I left, we had 12. So, I think having international players in your squad is very important. Recruiting well if they’re [the talent gaps] not locals, and keeping a team together, developing over time. There’s a big opportunity [to do that] with Munster. “You look at the under-20 players who’ve come through [here] and the Irish set-up. I was watching Gordon Wood and Charlie O’Shea and guys like that at the weekend, who are young men, but if they’re together for four, five years, that could be an awesome team. That’s the other part of it. “But also the importance of commercial, having the revenue to drive high performance and be successful and create an environment where people can succeed. Again, I don’t know a massive amount about the revenue profile, but the demand on that is never diminishing. So, it’s a key part of it too.”