Sir Gordon Tietjens

Tietjens met with the Samoa Rugby Union board last night, including Chairman and Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, to finalise details over his contract.

RNZ has been told Tietjens will take charge of the team in January, with former Manu Samoa and Samoa sevens coach Stephen Betham as his assistant.

RNZ reports Tietjens is in Samoa to discuss taking charge of the side.

Samoa Rugby chief executive Faleomavaega Fepulea'i said an announcement would be made by the union's chairman, Tuilaepa Malielegaoi, also the country's Prime Minister, tomorrow morning.

RNZ Sport understands Tietjens has been offered the head coach role and is in Samoa checking out the facilities and negotiating the terms of his contract. If a deal can't be done the job would likely go to former Samoa sevens and 15s coach Stephen Betham.

 Tietjens stepped down as All Blacks Sevens coach after the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

The Kenya Rugby chairman Richard Omwela is reported to have contacted Tietjens, but is yet to discuss with him the possibility of taking over as head coach.

Omwela told Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper, "We have had initial contacts with him (Tietjens) and he said he is available, but he has said before that he doesn't want a full time job after retirement…he only wants to do consultancy."

The All Blacks Sevens were a major disappointment at the recent Rio Olympics - failing to win a medal and being generally lackluster in their play.

Tietjens said he had taken some time to think about his options following the Olympic campaign and felt the time was right for a fresh challenge.

"I love the sevens game and I'm immensely proud of what I've achieved and what all our players have been able to achieve in my time with the team," he said.