The curtain falls on Gordon Tietjens' career as NZ sevens coach as he resigns after 22 years in the post.

Sir Gordon Tietjens field in Mount Maunganui will be a little quieter with the man who inspired its naming heading into retirement.

The whistle that looped around the neck of the 60-year-old master coach, blasting during the training week at Blake Park, is headed for the top shelf.

Tietjens won't be switching off, however. He will always be thinking sevens, and will be a phone call away to New Zealand Rugby and their new sevens coach if needed, when needed.

CAMERON BURNELL/ FAIRFAX NZ Gordon Tietjens announces his retirement as NZ sevens coach.

But it is time for fresh ideas, a new take on how to take the national side towards the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

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CAMERON BURNELL/ FAIRFAX NZ Gordon Tietjens has retired as coach of the NZ sevens team.

"I gave it everything as a coach," Tietjens said, reflecting on a difficult 12 months but a glittering 22 years with the New Zealand Sevens team.

"I felt this year, with the injuries, the expectation, we still qualified and came third in the World Series. I just felt the turnarounds and the pressure that created… going through all that preparation to go to the Olympics took its toll in the end.

"It confirmed in my own mind, at that time, that it was time at the end of the Olympics, win or lose."

CAMERON BURNELL/ FAIRFAX NZ Media gather for Gordon Tietjens' announcement he has retired as NZ sevens coach.

For some, the era of Tietjens will be remembered by a failed maiden Olympic campaign, which included a loss to Japan and an eventual fifth placed finish.

But that would do a disservice to a coach who single-handedly upped the intensity of sevens, making New Zealand world leaders in the sport.

In 1994, when Tietjens took charge of the team for the first time, he was it. Head coach, conditioning coach, nutritionist, analyst, the lot.

He led the team into the age of professionalism, winning 12 world series titles, four Commonwealth Games gold medals and two sevens World Cups.

"The first Hong Kong tournament as an All Blacks Sevens coach was really quite special and one I'll never forget," Tietjens said.

"To go on and win that for the next two years, three in a row, was a dream start.

"Then to start the World Series and win the very first one, I always remember that. We won it in our last tournament, Fiji lost a quarterfinal to Argentina, I'll never forget it.

"Then there are World Cups and the Commonwealth Games. It's been a real dream."

New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Tew said Tietjens had carved out a unique place in New Zealand rugby history.

"Titch has guided the All Blacks Sevens team through more than 100 international tournaments, a remarkable achievement that may never be equalled," Tew said.

"The number of former sevens players who've gone on to become All Blacks speaks for itself and demonstrates the incredible impact that Titch has had on our game.

"To put the length of his career into context, when he first began in this role rugby was an amateur game, Jim Bolger was Prime Minister and several members of the current All Blacks Sevens team hadn't even been born."

Tietjens was instrumental in bringing young talent through the New Zealand Rugby system, unleashing their true potential and seeing them on to bigger honours.

The number of All Blacks Tietjens has had a hand in creating numbers near the 50 mark, including the likes of Jonah Lomu, Christian Cullen, Ben Smith, Waisake Naholo and Beauden Barrett.

Spotting and scouting that talent has been one of Tietjens' favourite parts of the job, and is something he won't be giving up just yet.

If he spots someone he likes the look of, Tietjens said he will be on the phone offering if advice to the new coach, should it be wanted.

RECAP: TIETJENS RETIRES

​Press conference replay: Gordon Tietjens retires.