Halpin will be hoping to build on the success New Zealand enjoyed at London 2012, where they won 21 medals, six of them gold, their best performance since Sydney in 2000.

Half of New Zealand's gold medals were won by swimmer Sophie Pascoe, who also won three silver.

Halpin joins PNZ from the Bank of New Zealand, where he was head of corporate sponsorship, where he was involved in the company's sponsorship of last year's Rugby World Cup.

"[Ross] brings a wide array of commercial skills to his PNZ role, including extensive strategic planning and management experience at national and international levels with the International Rugby Board," said a statement from PNZ.

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