Avan Lee

Avan Lee was born in Dargaville, in New Zealand's North Island, and grew up in Whangarei. He studied management and marketing at Waikato University before departing for Ireland. In Dublin, he played club rugby with Clontarf.

Lee brings more than a decade of leadership at the highest level of the professional game, having served for 10 years as Chief Executive Officer of the Hurricanes, one of New Zealand's leading Super Rugby franchises. He took up his role with the Hurricanes in June 2015 and led the club through a significant period of their history, which included a first ever Super Rugby title in 2016. Across a career spanning rugby administration, governance, commercial development and high-performance sport, he has built a strong reputation for strategic leadership, organisational growth and stakeholder engagement.

Career history

• Consultant for World Rugby and board member of Special Olympics New Zealand (2025–present)
• Chief Executive Officer, Hurricanes Super Rugby franchise (2015–2025)
• General Manager, World Rugby Sevens programme (2012–2015)
• Manager, Broadcasting and Commercial Operations, New Zealand Rugby (2007–2012)
• Commercial Manager, Northland Rugby Union (2006–2007)

What Avan Lee could bring to Interim CEO at Munster Rugby: Lee's decade-long tenure as Hurricanes CEO, during which he oversaw commercial expansion and guided the franchise to its first Super Rugby title, positions him to address Munster's governance challenges and revitalize commercial performance. His prior experience in Irish rugby administration through World Rugby and his earlier playing stint with Clontarf provide valuable institutional knowledge of Irish rugby culture and stakeholder relationships.