‘46 of my players became All Blacks’ – How the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens changed my life, part 3
Hong Kong residents and visitors tell us how the unique event has had an impact on their lives
Part three of the series features one of the most successful coaches in the history of the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, as well as an All Black who used the Sevens as a platform launching his stellar career and has become a regular attendee since.
Gordon Tietjens
Former New Zealand sevens coach and new Samoa coach
I played here in 1983 in the first national sevens team and first coached here in 1994. When I look back and reflect, I’m proud I won eight times, including the first three years in a row.
The Hong Kong Sevens is still the number one tournament and the eternal benchmark. Everyone wants to win.
As the game of sevens has evolved, so have I. The athletes have to be stronger, faster and fitter. Still some nations use it as a development tool, but you can’t hide on a sevens field, and you can’t hide in a stadium of 40,000 people.
The Hong Kong Sevens has changed my life in so many ways. I never thought I’d travel the world to such an extent. Anyone who has coached a sevens team or a 15-a-side team in New Zealand knows the enormous pressure and expectation to perform and win. I had a lot of success with it, and a lot because of Hong Kong.
