Union refutes Tietjens report

By Sina Sevaaetasi 24 September 2016, 12:00AM

Former All Blacks Sevens coach, Sir Gordon Tietjens is welcomed to apply for the vacant Manu Samoa Sevens coaching job – if he hasn’t done so already.

So said the Chief Executive Officer of the Samoa Rugby Union (S.R.U), Faleomavaega Vincent Fepulea’i during an interview with the Weekend Observer yesterday.

Faleomavaega was responding to questions of whether the S.R.U would be interested in having Tietjens take up the vacant position.

The C.E.O immediately rejected reports suggesting the Union had asked Sir Tietjens to apply.

“We saw reports on the paper that he (Gordon) said the rugby union has sought his help but we haven’t,” he said.

“He is welcome to apply if he hasn’t already applied. The opportunity was open to anyone; local and overseas. It wasn’t restricted to anyone.”

Having said that, Faleomavaega said the hunt for a coach is continuing, with the applications closed last week.

 “The application for the Sevens coach does not come through me; there is a specific process that the Union follows,” he told the Weekend Observer.

“So I can’t really talk about that. It was closed last week and the Union has started following through with their process.”

Asked who had applied, the C.E.O declined to confirm any names.

 “I can’t tell you who has applied and who hasn’t but the union has already gone through the process through the technical and operations side,” he said.  “One of the things we have to be careful of is with the people who have applied and currently hold jobs elsewhere. “We want to protect their interest where they currently work. That’s the current process at the moment.

“All I can tell you is that the union will hopefully start interviewing (coaches) sometime next week and will hopefully appoint someone by early October.

“After the selection process is complete then it will be passed to the panel for interviews and then to the board for their endorsement.”

By Sina Sevaaetasi 24 September 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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