Gordon Tietjens' knighthood has been hailed as "a long time coming" by Tauranga's Zar Lawrence, one of a long list of New Zealand rugby players who owe their international sevens careers to Tietjens' intuitive approach to the game.
Lawrence, plucked from relative obscurity to spend six years in the international sevens spotlight, had huge respect for his old coach who was awarded a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
It was Eric Rush who brought Lawrence into the national sevens camp from which Tietjens selected his 2005 team. "It was my first ever sevens trip away."
Lawrence said Tietjens understood players and what was needed to push them to perform at their very best.
It was all about mental strength and stepping training up to another level when everybody was already exhausted so that binding together was the only way to keep going.