OLYMPIC Games 7s rugby gold medal winning coach, Ben Ryan has not only returned home to take sometime off.
He has also shared a few thoughts about Fijian Rugby to his former New Zealand counterpart, Sir Gordon Tietjens.
That’s if the NZ 7s mentor, who announced his retirement this week after coaching the Kiwis for 22 years, will consider coming to Fiji to succeed Ryan.
“If Gordon comes to Fiji then he would have to adjust his philosophy in the style of play he had with New Zealand,” Ryan said from London yesterday.
Ryan helped Fiji win two HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and the country’s first gold medal from the Olympic Games.
After 22 years of coaching NZ 7s, Sir Tietjens, commonly known as Sir Titch to those close to him in NZ, had faced about more than 10 different Fijian coaches.
His decision to leave NZRU has had many guessing if he would want to take over from where Ryan left.
International media have also assumed that Ryan will jump planes to NZ to take over from where Sir Titch left off.
Not wanting to reveal much as he takes a break to think about his next job, Ryan when asked by this newspaper on the NZ job, said: “That’s all I have to say.”
Meanwhile, applications are now being considered by the Fiji Rugby Union.
As Fiji prepares to defend the World Rugby Sevens Series title, FRU board chairman Francis Kean had earlier highlighted their hope to have Ryan assist the Vodafone Fiji 7s team before his successor is appointed.
