Allan Bunting, right, is the new coach of the New Zealand women's sevens team.

When the New Zealand women's sevens team found our Allan Bunting would be their new coach, the room erupted with joy.

A man with huge respect among sevens players, Bunting had been urged to apply by a few members of the national team and replace former coach Sean Horan.

Apply Bunting did, and now he is the man leading the national women's sevens side towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

"We're hugely excited," New Zealand captain Sarah Goss said. "The room got quite loud and quite excited when it was announced."

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Bunting is a man the players trust, and feel they can learn off in a positive, professional environment.

Horan's deputy for the past four years, Bunting is a terrific coach who can get his messages across with simplicity. The speed with which the players learn under Bunting is incredibly quick.

"He's been the one who has done a lot of the rugby side of it," Goss said of Bunting's role in the past four years.

"Being the assistant he was a bit quieter [than Horan], but he'll be leading a lot of the programme now so we're looking forward to that."

Bunting said taking the role has been an honour, and to have so much support from the players has been particularly humbling.

"I did have a little bit of encouragement," Bunting said of the players asking him to take on the role.

"It felt like if I'd stopped coaching then I'd have unfinished business.

"We're going to make sure we get it right, the base of this team. Culture, everything."

The first major focus will be on the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, although Bunting said he is also looking forward to developing players for the Black Ferns' tilt at the women's Rugby World Cup in 2017.

He's also excited to see women's rugby continue to grow, following their coming out party at the Olympics on national television.

"When I was a young boy all I saw was the All Blacks on TV. Now there are young girls who have seen the Black Ferns on TV, and that's going to be great for the game."

NZ Rugby general manager Neil Sorensen said Bunting's appointment ensured continuity for an already successful team.

"Allan's time with the Black Ferns Sevens as assistant coach coincided with a period of significant victories and made him the natural candidate to step into the head coach role," Sorensen said.

"He brings mana, knowledge and Olympic experience to the role, which will be critical for the team to reach its potential."

Bunting said he will look to have an assistant coach in place shortly, with NZ Rugby going through the process of finding the right person for the job.

Bunting has a matter of weeks before leading the women to their first tournament of the new season, in Dubai on December 1-2. That is followed by Sydney, Australia(February 3-4), Kitakyushu, Japan (April 22-23), Langford, Canada (May 27-28) and Clermont-Ferrand, France (June 24-25).