Rugby: No let up in sight from Tietjens

Gordon Tietjens
Gordon Tietjens
New Zealand sevens coach Gordon Tietjens doesn't have any plans to tone down his gut-busting training sessions following the news he will be knighted.

Tietjens' training camps have long been regarded as some of the toughest a New Zealand rugby player will go through and the long-time national sevens mentor said there would be more of the same in the future.

"They won't change. I think they'll stay as they are while I'm still the coach," he said. "I'll still be known as 'Titch' by the players. Things won't change in that way."

Tietjens, who has been the national sevens coach since 1994, has been made a Knight of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen's Birthday honours for services to rugby.

The 57-year-old enjoyed a stint as Bay of Plenty's coach in the 15-a-side code from 1996-2002 but sevens has been where he has made his mark.

Tietjens has won 11 world series crowns, a World Cup title in 2001, four Commonwealth Games gold medals and was inducted into the International Rugby Board hall of fame last year.

Nearly 40 All Blacks have played under Tietjens in his sevens set-up and he said that level of player development was what kept him invigorated in the role.

"I still love it and I still want to remain involved. I'm looking forward to the Olympics in 2016. I think that's going to be a real challenge and the pinnacle of my career which is obviously going to come round pretty quickly and it's just another special part of coaching career.

"The motivation is having a passion but it's the culture we have in the sevens side. We are a massive family. I love working with the younger players. I love seeing younger players promoted up through the grades to Super Rugby and in some cases going on to become All Blacks."

Tietjens, who also played for the New Zealand sevens side as well as Waikato and Bay of Plenty at provincial level, said it wasn't a challenge to keep the secret when he found out he was going to be knighted.

"It's not so much thoughts, I think it's more shock more than anything. I'm just obviously very humbled by the award and pleased in a lot of ways to see sevens rugby recognised and the way the sport's grown globally. It's moving forward so for it to be recognised in some way, that was really pleasing."

Despite being a full-time rugby coach and, as he pointed out, one of New Zealand Rugby's longest-serving employees, he still spent four days at Bay Engineers Supplies last week, such is his dedication to the firm he has worked at for many years.

Tietjens said he also expected to receive some friendly jibes from his old mate Eric Rush.

"No doubt Rushy, who is certainly someone that with his humour and his wit, will have me on a bit. But I'm expecting that so I'll brace myself for it."

 

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