Legacy: Sir Gordon Tietjens

Book excerpt: Sir Gordon ‘Titch’ Tietjens, pioneer of the global sevens game, is one of New Zealand’s greatest ever rugby coaches. His many accolades – including 12 IRB World Series, two Rugby World Cup Sevens titles and four Commonwealth Games gold medals – easily place him alongside other legendary leaders like Lochore, Henry and Hansen. Many were dumbfounded, then, by the New Zealand Sevens team’s horror showing at the 2016 Rio Olympics – knocked out at the quarter-finals stage, followed by Tietjens’ shock departure from the franchise after a hugely influential 22 years at the helm. Legacy unpacks that fateful Olympic campaign and many other career challenges, but also charts Tietjens’ glory on the world stage, his knack for spotting and cultivating our next rugby stars, his insights into leadership and management strategies, and his thoughts on the future of the game. What unfolds is a gripping account of sport, business and life from a man who gave so much to New Zealand rugby.