From coaching Tai Mitchell schoolboys to royal recognition for decades of service to national Sevens rugby 

Words Jill Nicholas

Pictures/video Stephen Parker

How’s this statistical record setting in the world of men’s rugby Sevens?

Front line involvement in 18 World Series tournaments, nine world series-winning sides and two World Cup winners; four Commonwealth and one Olympic Games where New Zealand medalled. 

So who can possibly have racked up such an impressive tally in this country’s Seven’s history?

It’s Rotorua’s Ross Everiss, that’s who.

From 2003 until April this year he managed our national men’s Sevens.

He’s its second longest-serving staffer. Former coach, Rotorua-born and raised Sir Gordon Tietjens, notched up 22 years. 

Initially known as the New Zealand Sevens, the team rebranded in 2012, becoming the All Blacks Sevens.

Ross’ dedication to the code under both names was recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours when he was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to rugby. 

He was invested into the order by Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro on September 1. His honour is something he’s still coming to terms with.

“It’s very humbling. It blew me away when I received the email saying I’d been nominated. Obviously there are some people who think enough of me and what I’ve done to take the time to nominate me to be recognised by the late Queen. It’s something I never considered I’d be worthy of.” 

Ross insists if anyone deserves recognition for the part he’s played in the Sevens it’s his wife, Maree, and their now-adult children, Rebecca and Hayden.

 “My understanding wife has allowed me to follow my dreams and have this opportunity in the sport I love. She has held our family together for almost twenty years. She brought the kids up mostly on her own. We are both hugely proud of them. 

Hayden was a pre-schooler when his father took on the Sevens role.

Grassroots beginnings

An impressive local, then provincial, rugby background preceded his time with the Sevens.

His non-playing rugby involvement kicked off at grassroots level in 1990. Ross, then teaching at Mokoia Intermediate, coached Rotorua’s Tai Mitchell primary school tournament side.

“We came fifth. My claim to fame there was one of the team, Caleb Ralph, went on to become an All Blacks Sevens member and an All Black.”

A Marist St Michael’s man (he fondly refers to it as St Mike’s), he took over managing its Senior A side in the Baywide competition. He’d previously played in the club’s A and B teams as a fullback and winger. Multitasking, he was also managing the Bay of Plenty Under 23 Colts. 

In 1999 he moved up to the Steamers, and was with them as they progressed from second to first division. 

By 2002 he was managing the BOP Development Team and would have stayed on had his good mate ‘Titch’ (Sir Gordon Tietjens) not given him the hurry-up to apply to manage the national Sevens side. That was in 2003 and applications closed the following day. 

His subsequent appointment sparked a quandary.

“I had a young family, a pretty secure job as a deputy principal at Mokoia. Moving to New Zealand Sevens Rugby was quite a gamble. I was encouraged by friends and family to take it. The Sevens job was only going to be part time for two years. Almost 20 years later I was involved full time and loved what I was doing. But two decades is a long tenure in a sporting environment. It was time to hand the reins to someone else. I look back with very little regret.

“I’ve loved the environment. The players achieved a fantastic amount. I’ve been to two Olympic Games and four Commonwealth Games. We’ve won medals at each of those Commomwealth Games and at one Olympic Games. There have been two World Cup wins.

“All up, there were 18 world series tournaments in different places around the world.” 

Manager’s role

His first overseas tournament experience was in Dubai. 

“It was really really different from anywhere I’d been, I‘d never been to a desert before. It was mind blowing to see sand piled up at the sides of the highway. The tournament was at Dubai’s oldest rugby club, Exiles. It was the only patch of green grass.”

Ross began to get a feel for his role as manager of a national team. So what exactly does it involve?

That, he says, is a good question because he’s unsure how to answer it. The reason:  there’s nothing comparable. 

“I guess it’s best described as looking after everything on the other side of the white line. The coach looks after things on the field, the manager off it.

“It’s all about planning, relationships, logistics, communications, culture.”

We press him to elaborate on the ‘culture’ word.

“It’s about creating a culture where the players feel confident to be part of the team; that’s something really unique with Sevens. People are close together. You can build a really strong culture of how and why you do things to be a better rugby player on the field.  

“I always thought going into rugby I didn’t want to be a school teacher, but essentially a lot of the tasks you do are like a teacher’s. You are in an environment where you have to look after other people and look after them well.”

It’s not easy for Ross to pinpoint where in the world he’s been when. His job took him to multiple countries many times over. His passports aren’t a helpful reference point now scanning’s replaced old fashioned stamps.

“You certainly get to see a lot of the world the general public wouldn’t unless briefly as tourists. We are going there every year.”

Year to remember

2013 was a year with two major high points that fix the Sevens’ exact locations.

In July they were in Moscow where, in an historic double header, the men’s and women’s sides claimed both World Cups.

In December, the men in black were in South Africa when Nelson Mandela died. His death coincided with the day they played the host country in the finals at Port Elizabeth.

“There were 60,000 in the stadium. I’ve never heard a national anthem sung like that [South African] one was; the whole place just went off.  We lost.” 

With so much time in the air has Ross cracked the art of sleeping on planes?

He’s had to. “You have to get off the plane and be ready to roll, it was pretty hard at first.”

Initially he resisted a helping hand. “I used to fight against sleeping pills but I just can’t sleep naturally on a plane. With a pill I’m able to get six to eight hours.”  

Which leads us to jet lag. It remains unconquered. 

“I think jet lag is complicated and made worse by having to be full on working for 14 days before the long flight home.” 

Hairy moments

It would be facile to think Ross’ management tenure has been incident free.

In 2010-2011 when his Sevens job was still part time, Bay of Plenty rugby “borrowed” him to again manage the Steamers.

They were in Christchurch on September 4, 2010, when the first Canterbury earthquake struck. Its Richter scale reading was 7.1.

“It was something I’ll never forget. I was awake, I’d just looked at the clock. It was 4.35am when the building started to shake. My room mate sat up and said ‘Heck, this is pretty big’. We realised we needed to do something and got under the bathroom door jamb. It probably had no strength at all. My mate was holding the frame, I was holding him thinking the floors above would come on top of us. I’ve never been in anything like it.” 

When the heaving lessened Ross and his room mate made it to a near-by park. There all the players and support crew were accounted for. 

Ross had to think fast, everyone had to get out of Christchurch - like now. Aftershocks were ongoing. The roads south were closed, the airport shut, the power off. The only escape route was north via bus. One was handy; the BOP contingent was on board quick smart. By the next morning they were in Wellington, home by lunchtime. “We had to get back. The boys had a home game against Manawatu on the Tuesday . . .   yes, they won.” 

There have been other hairy moments. One involved a couple of team members missing a flight home when officialdom at Hong Kong airport delayed them. The players had been cleared to carry the team’s stereo radio on board, but immigration refused to let them on the plane. By the time that little lot was sorted everyone else, Ross included, were in Auckland.

“That was a drop in the old stomach moment.. As manager you feel you are responsible for looking after the people you’re in charge of. They were only carrying out what they were asked to do.”

Machine gun point   

Up there in the scary stakes was being held at machine gun point.

“The boys went through a phase of buying BB guns at the Hong Kong market, playing with them in their down time. 

“We were about to board the flight out when the captain DJ Forbes and I were called to the gate desk. We were taken down the air bridge, out onto the tarmac. Under the nose of the aircraft was a table. DJ’s bag was on it, two guys holding machine guns were guarding it. DJ was asked to open his bag. Both guards cocked their weapons. At the top of his bag was a BB gun. They very very carefully pulled it out of its cardboard box. All the other guys had plastic ones, DJ’s was metal, security had picked it up.

“I have to admit the heart was pounding when the guards cocked those machine guns. I guess they were only doing their job.”

Reflections – past and future

Having worked closely with so many star players who does Ross consider the most outstanding? 

The honour goes to Amasio Valence Raoma. 

“With three Commonwealth Games golds he was something else. Present assistant coach, Tomasi Cama’s up there too. He was very skilled inside the game. Jonah[Lomu] had left the team before I joined but was often present as a special guest.”

It’s borderline rude to ask if the seven-a-side team can fairly be seen as a lesser being than its 15-man counterpart?

Ross doesn’t take umbrage. “The All Blacks are the pinnacle, they are the rock stars of New Zealand .

Sevens are a bit different. They have carved their own niche.” 

Now his job as Sevens manager is done, where to from here? 

He’s presently in South Africa managing the national Under 19s side having its first taste of international rugby. That includes playing in the curtain raiser at the Springbok-Pumas Durban clash on September 24. 

“I certainly don’t think my time in sport is finished. I have been fortunate and privileged to be part of the New Zealand rugby family for a long time in a job that grew from part time to full time. I’d like to think there are further opportunities for me in the sport I love. I believe I’ve lots of experience to impart. 

“It’s a bit strange being on the job market again. I’ve tried not to fret about it.”