New Zealand at risk of losing sevens edge: Gordon TietjensJohn Cowpland / Photosport.nzCoach Sir Gordon Tietjens is appealing for New Zealand to centralise its men's sevens rugby programme or risk being surpassed by better-resourced nations. The NZ sevens team has finished behind champions Fiji and South Africa in each of the last two world series. Tietjens says he has petitioned NZ Rugby on the subject for some time and expects a breakthrough within the next two years. Tietjens even expects some countries, such as Kenya, to drop 15-a-side rugby from their programme altogether to focus on sevens. Days out from their inaugural Olympic campaign in Rio, Tietjens says it is obvious other teams have closed the gap on 12-time world series champions New Zealand since sevens was added to the Games programme.

Source: Stuff August 06, 2016 00:55 UTC