Former New Zealand rugby sevens coach Sir Gordon Tietjens is set to be named the new head coach of the Samoa men's sevens team tomorrow.
Sir Gordon Tietjens. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Tietjens is in Samoa to discuss the terms of his contract.
Samoa Rugby chief executive Vincent Fepulea'i said an announcement would be made by the union's chairman, Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi, also the country's Prime Minister, tomorrow morning.
RNZ Sport understands Tietjens has been offered the head coach role and is in Samoa checking out the facilities, meeting key members of the Samoa Union and negotiating the finer details of the contract. If a deal can't be done the job would likely go to former Samoa sevens and 15s coach Stephen Betham.
When Tietjens stepped down as coach of the All Blacks Sevens he said he would never be able to coach against a New Zealand team, though he appears to have backtracked on that statement.
Former All Black and current Samoa 15s head coach Alama Ieremia, who's also Samoa Rugby's director of coaching, also strongly hinted at Tietjens pending appointment.
"Samoa Rugby Union need to move forward and obviously these are big strategies moving forward in terms of where we're heading.
"Getting the right people and the right coaches in place is very important for us.
"We'll wait and see how Vincent (Samoa Rugby CEO) and the Union announce that one tomorrow, it's exciting times," Ieremia said.
The new World Sevens Series kicks off in Dubai in December.
-RNZ
