Legendary ABs coach recognised in Queens honours

Legendary All Blacks Sevens coach Gordon Tietjens has been Knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to rugby.

Tietjens has spent an incredible 19 years as coach of the national side, in which time he's won four Commonwealth Games gold medals, the Rugby World Cup of sevens and 11 world series titles.

Sir Gordon says it's an incredible honour.

He says it's total disbelief but he's very humbled and proud to accept the Knighthood.

Sir Gordon Tietjens says it's always a pleasure in his job seeing players going from his side onto bigger things like the All Blacks.

Couldn't have happened to a nicer Kiwi bloke..

New Zealand sevens coach Sir Gordon Tietjens doesn't have any plans to tone down his gut-busting training sessions following the news of his knighthood.

Sir Gordon's training camps have long been regarded as some of the toughest a New Zealand rugby player will go through and the long-time 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."

Sir Gordon, who has been the national sevens coach since 1994, is today made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to rugby.

The 57-year-old was Bay of Plenty coach in the 15-a-side game from 1996-2002 but sevens is where he has made his mark.

Sir Gordon has won 11 world series crowns, a World Cup title in 2001 and 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 Sir Gordon in his sevens set-up. 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 my coaching career

NZ Herald

Pleeeease brycy get some perspective here. Always remember sevens has been a very poor cousin in SA. As soon as Treu gets a few half decent players we whip the kiwis.

Also bear in mind with these knighthoods - we are not part of the commonwealth otherwise we would have had a number of sporting knightoods by now. You haven't forgotten I trust how Jake schooled sir john and sir graham. The two half wits combined couldnt live with the Master Mind Jake that Saturday!

What happened Bean Brain. Did you peasants get kicked out of the Commonwealth?

I hear they kept the class system though.

I believe we left brycy. Not for us proud republicans the bowing of the knee to foreign royalty etc.

Class systems exist throughout the world brycy and thus for you there is no escaping your dismal fate! Bwahhaahahhaha

How are you this morning brycy. Still have that loose screw rattling away?

Bean Brain  it's not morning dumbarse and we kicked your butt in the Boer war...

What's a "repubican" Hasbeeno? Someone who grows their "short & curlies" back?

@brycy boer war hey ????? you mean you "guys" raped infants burned farms rape woman and stuck only the weak into camps just because you could not win the war ? endless amount of zulu's and other people lost there lifes at the queens whim ?.....are you the queens stool cleaner is a honour whiping her backside hey mate HAHAHAHA

You can keep your titles as we saffas bow to f*cking nobody. we are a republic and very very proud of it.

Welcome back Muncher and excellent opening post there!

It appears ou moooo la is having trouble with his spelling perhaps?

Oh gee wizz my saffa gentle men... The time is now soo well over due to stop talking about how your all sooo much better than us and actually start beating us! I mean how many more world sevens titles do we have to win to prove a point for goodness sake! annd god save the queen... shes a good ol bitch!

Ugly as sin though ... especially with that typical Brit horsey over bite of hers.

Nothing better to do with her time than to knight the commoners down under.

Poor dear!!

 Nice editing of your post Hasbeeno! I deliberately didn't respond when I first saw it as I knew you wouldn't be able to resist commenting!

we saffas bow to f*cking nobody. we are a republic and very very proud of it.

...funny how here in NZ we've lost count as to the amount of saffas that have pledged their alliegance to Her Majesty the Queen in order to gain citizenship.

 Maybe you need to start educating yr countrymen about why they should stay in SA. 

I'm sure most Kiwis would love to help finance such a programme...then we would'nt end up with all these inbred yarpy hicks like boklogshit polluting our beautiful country..