Longtime coach of the All Blacks Sevens, Sir Gordon Tietjens is standing down.

Tietjens is leaving after 22 years at the helm, following their disappointing quarter-final exit at the Rio Olympics.

The side won four Commonwealth Games gold medals under Tietjens, as well as two Rugby World Cup crowns and 12 World Sevens series.

Tietjens also helped developed several leading All Blacks including Jonah Lomu, Christian Cullen and Ben Smith.

He was the first sevens coach to be knighted and first to enter World Rugby's Hall of Fame.

Tietjens said it was a logical decision to end his time as coach.

"It wasn't a hard decision to be fair. My dream was always to go to Rio, to go to the Olympics once it had been announced as an Olympic sport, and I've seen the game of sevens grow so much over the years."

In a statement he says he wants to remain in sevens in some capacity and is working through those next steps.

New Zealand Rugby will now begin the recruitment process for a new coach, with the World Series beginning in early December.

Sir Gordon Tietjens' roll of honour:

SEVENS COACHING:
- Four Commonwealth Games gold medals (1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010). One silver (2014)
- Two World Cups (2001 and 2013)
- 12 world series titles
- NZRU coach of the year (2010)
- IRB Hall of Fame inductee (2012)
- Knighthood (2013 Queen's Birthday Honours.

NPC COACHING:
- Bay of Plenty (1996-2002)
- NPC Coach of the Year (2000)

PLAYING CAREER:
- Played 78 games for Bay of Plenty and 14 for Waikato (1977-83)
- Member of the first New Zealand sevens side at the Hong Kong Sevens (1983).