The leader of the pack

DUBAI // If the chasing pack ever hoped eight IRB World Series titles in nine seasons would be enough to mellow the New Zealand coach, Gordon Tietjens, they can think again. Tietjens has forged one of the most impressive coaching CVs in all of sport since taking control of the New Zealand sevens team 14 years ago.

His reputation has been founded on his relentless training methods, and he admits that, rather than easing up on his players as he gets older, he is becoming more sadistic. The ferocity of one of his drills, known simply as "Death" to the players, forced one to the brink of unconsciousness during a training session on Tuesday. "It is a tough game," Tietjens, 52, said of the continuous touch rugby drill he invented. "We played it in training and one of my players went very, very faint in the heat and had to stop training. It is about testing them physically, but also mentally - that is where I really challenge my players. I'm not mellowing - it wins tournaments. I have never mellowed, you have to be very fit, you have to make massive nutritional sacrifices.

"I am very strict in terms of protocols that are set, and that makes a good side. They buy into that. "No rugby player would ever make my side if they weren't required to do the physical side." The coach launched the careers of some of the game's greatest players via his sevens side - many, such as Jonah Lomu, from notably humble beginnings. In a classic case of Tietjens one-downmanship, he claims the squad he has brought to Dubai this week, which contains five key players from last term's record-breaking crop, are "underrated".

New Zealand will be defending the Dubai crown they won at the Exiles last year, after England and South Africa shared the title between them in the past four years. Tietjens said: "It is a massive challenge. We have an underrated team this year, even though we have won it [the IRB World Series] eight years out of nine. "We have got seven new players, some are very young and it is going to be very tough. That is why I keep going, because I am dealing with new players all the time. It is great to see all those other players move on to bigger things, and securing their future in some cases."

pradley@thenational.ae

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013

Dates for the diary

To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:

September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.

Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills