Munster Rugby COO Philip Quinn resigns after 19 years

Philip Quinn has announced he will step down as chief operating officer of Munster Rugby, ending a 19‑year tenure with the province.

Quinn, who served as acting chief executive in 2018‑19, said he was disappointed not to be considered for the permanent CEO role after Ian Flanagan’s resignation. He praised the appointment of interim chief executive Avan Lee, describing her as “a great guy” and confident she will be “fantastic for the province”.

Lee, formerly chief executive of the Hurricanes, began her role at Munster’s Cork headquarters this week and will attend the URC derby with Leinster at Aviva Stadium on Saturday. She will also be tasked with finding a new COO.

Quinn, 47, said he is seeking a new challenge in a different environment but leaves “on a personal high”. He highlighted the recent Champions Cup pool game against Racing 92 at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, noting it was the second‑most profitable match the province has ever hosted, despite attracting the smallest crowd of the four fixtures held at the venue.

The Munster Rugby Board was scheduled to review the Independent Governance and Organisational Review commissioned after the Roger Randle controversy, though this is understood to be unrelated to Quinn’s departure.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Ollie Craig / Pexels.