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Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz |
Sideline Sid was delighted to see that legendary New Zealand 7's coach (and Western Bay of Plenty resident) Gordon Tietjens was knighted in the recent New Zealand Queens Birthday honours.
Universally known as Titch, the 7's maestro has swept all before him in the abbreviated rugby game with a staggering array of titles that include 11 IRB World Series Titles in 14 years and four Commonwealth Games 7's Gold Medals.
Titch's Sevens coaching career, accelerated after he coached a Bay of Plenty team to win the prestigious Melrose Sevens in Scotland in 1992.
The Melrose Sevens is the oldest Rugby 7's competition in the world, started by Melrose butcher and former player Ned Haig in 1883. The story goes that one of Melrose's rivals turned up short of players so the two sides agreed to play a game with seven players a side.
A supporters group was put together by well known Western Bay sporting scribe Peter Reilly and team and supporters took off for their journey into the unknown in April 1992. A stop off in Honk Hong for the annual Honk Hong 7's gave the tour party a taste of what was to come.
On the 11th April 1992, the Bay of Plenty team kicked off their quest for victory in the 102nd Melrose Sevens. First up the Bay side defeated the Watsonians 20-10, before dispatching Gala 26 nil in the quarter-finals.
While the Bay of Plenty supporter's optimism was building, standing in their way in the semi-finals was Hawick who had won the tournament on 28 previous occasions. However 30 unanswered points against the Scottish border club, suggested that the Bay team could become just the second side from the Southern Hemisphere to win the Melrose Sevens (after Sydney club Randwick in 1990).
The final against Kelso was a battle of attrition before Bay of Plenty triumphed with a hard fought 19-12 victory. The Bay of Plenty victory was built upon aggressive defence which raised a few eyebrows on the other side of the world. The Kiwi visitors partied long and hard and with the Melrose trophy safely tucked up in the visitors luggage, returned home with another stop off in Hong Kong on the way. While Bay of Plenty returned to the Melrose Sevens the following year they were knocked out in the semi-finals
Three of the Bay players in the 1992 side in (the late) Joe Tauiwi, Peter Woods and Martin Jones, went on to play under Sir Gordon in early New Zealand 7's teams. The other players in the Melrose winning team were Damon Kaui, Phil Werahiko, Leighton Edwards, Paul Fairweather, Kopai Erihei, Darryl Menzies and Charles Bidois from Te Puna. Damon Kaui went on to play 113 first class games in the Bay uniform with Kopai Irehei representing his country in touch.
Long may Sir 'Titch” enjoy success with the National 7's team, with the build-up to the 2016 Olympics where 7's makes is Olympic entrance, likely to keep New Zealand 7's rugby well and truly in the spotlight.
Seeya at the Game.