Video
Lessons From 22 Years Of Coaching NZ Sevens & Why He'd Never Compromise Standards: Gordon Tietjens
Rugby
Lessons From 22 Years Of Coaching NZ Sevens & Why He'd Never Compromise Standards: Gordon Tietjens
Coaching Culture with Ben Herring›
Feb 15, 202659:351.7K views
What makes a winning team culture in rugby.
In this episode of Coaching Culture, Ben Herring sits down with Gordon Tietjens, the legendary All Blacks Sevens coach and one of the key figures in the global rise of sevens rugby.
You will hear how Tietjens built a world class environment using simple values, hard training, and non negotiables that never changed.
This is a masterclass for rugby coaches, athletes, high performance staff, and anyone leading a team.
In this conversation, you will learn
How Gordon defines culture in rugby
Why hard work can create unity and trust
The values he built the All Blacks Sevens culture on: honesty, respect, humility, discipline, leadership
Why he believes training should be harder than the game
How he selected for character, not just talent
The traffic light system for people: greens, yellows, reds
How to turn “yellow” players into “green” players
Why nutrition and conditioning were true non negotiables
How leaders like Eric Rush shaped the team environment
Stories and lessons from Jonah Lomu, Christian Cullen, Richie McCaw, Sonny Bill Williams, and more
What has changed in modern coaching and athlete management
Why care matters if you want to push people hard
What coaches can learn from the Chinese women’s sevens program
Key quote
“The harder you work, the closer you become.”
Timestamps
00:00 Intro and who is Gordon Tietjens
00:57 How do you define culture
03:57 Hard work and unity
05:17 Selecting on character
08:25 Non negotiables: fitness and nutrition
09:18 The athlete who wanted to leave camp
15:30 Trust, care, and meeting families
18:24 The traffic light system: green, yellow, red
22:12 The treadmill, rower, bike test
24:55 Why reds cost you good people
27:55 Players who shaped Gordon: Eric Rush, Jonah Lomu, Christian Cullen
35:51 Why Gordon would not compromise
39:29 Would this coaching style work today
43:38 Coaching China and high performance habits
48:04 Complacency and treating every game as a final
51:31 Longevity in coaching
54:04 Advice for young coaches
57:15 Beliefs other coaches may disagree with
1:00:43 Ben’s 3 takeaways and wrap
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✅ About Coaching Culture with Ben Herring.
Welcome to Coaching Culture, where I host candid conversations with top rugby coaches and leaders from across industries to explore what it truly takes to build lasting, high-performing cultures. In each episode, we go beyond strategy to discuss trust, leadership, emotional intelligence, and the values that drive long-term success. From international rugby to grassroots sport, I aim to offer insights that will inspire and educate coaches and leaders everywhere.
My focus is on the cultural side of coaching – how to connect with people, deliver impactful messages, and create environments that foster growth. Whether you’re a rugby coach or a business leader, you’ll find valuable lessons. Join me to learn how we coach, lead, and create high-performance environments.
🔔 If you're looking for coaching & leadership skills, hit ! Stay tuned for candid conversations, expert insights, strategies, & inspiring stories.
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59 minutes.
