Sir Gordon Tietjens is stepping down from his role as head coach of Manu Samoa Sevens.
On Tuesday, Tietjens confirmed he will not be renewing his contract with the Samoa Rugby Union when it expires at the end of August 2020.
"With so much uncertainty as to when the Sevens World Series would continue, the best solution moving forward would be to step down to allow Samoa Rugby to plan for the future," Tietjens said.
"With the cancellation of the Olympics and four tournaments more than likely to be cancelled from the 2019/2020 series, the timing I felt was right to step down so they could look for a new head coach."
Tietjens joined Manu Samoa after stepping down from his role as head of New Zealand Sevens in 2016.
A revolutionary figure in the world of sevens rugby, Tietjens guided the All Blacks Sevens team to unprecedented success, securing a total of 12 IRB World series title, including a streak of six straight from 2000 through until 2005, and a haul of five Commonwealth gold medals through a storied 23-year tenure.
Although his success with Manu Samoa on the international was relatively limited, Tietjens referred to his time with the side as "an absolute honour".
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time coaching the Manu Samoa Sevens team and I thank the Samoa Rugby Union for giving me this opportunity, as it’s been an absolute honour and privilege to have been involved over the last three years”.
