‘High expectations’: tourists, families flock to Hong Kong Stadium for Sevens rugby tournament
- Organiser says 40 per cent of all tickets were bought by visitors, with the 40,000-seat stadium a sell-out for the three-day tournament
- ‘It’s so exciting, especially seeing other cultures. It’s really humbling to be a part of this occasion,’ Fijian fan says
Tourists and local families heated up the stadium during the Hong Kong Sevens rugby matches on Friday, as the tournament hit its first full-house since the pandemic.
The Hong Kong Sevens, set to last three days, opened its doors as early as 7.30am to a slow yet steady start as spectators streamed into the stadium throughout the day.
Spectators on Friday morning and early afternoon were mostly families and foreigners, as more than half of those whom a Post reporter spoke to were visitors.
Mereani Kaitani, 27, was waving the Fijian flag with her friends outside Hong Kong Stadium at So Kon Po shortly after 10am.
She was on her first visit to the city as a part of a business trip, which coincided with the Sevens.
“It’s so exciting, especially seeing other cultures. It’s really humbling to be a part of this occasion,” Kaitani said.
She added that she came to support her home country and the South African team.
According to the organiser, 40 per cent of all tickets were bought by visitors this year, with the 40,000-seat stadium a sell-out for the three-day tournament.
Quentin Hillbrand and Francisco Sanchez flew in from Tokyo to watch the games with their Hong Kong-based friend, Sebastian Inveninato.
Dressed as the mascot of the Argentinian team, Sanchez had high hopes for the rugby matches and party atmosphere over the next two days.
“It’s just the start. It’s quiet now, but I have high expectations,” Sanchez said, adding that his costumes would also ramp up as the games go on.
“I want to see everything [at the Sevens],” Hillbrand added.
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Jaden Yeung and Myra Leung, both 12, were among the early arrivals after playing their youth showcase matches in the morning.
Yeung, Sevens second-timer, said he was enjoying the game booths right outside the spectator stands.
“It’s prettier this year and a lot more fun with the stalls, but the KFC shop has closed,” he said as he showed off a tattoo sticker he won.
Cathay Pacific and HSBC, both title sponsors of the event, have organised game booths at the stadium, drawing in long queues of children throughout the day.
Leung, who had watched the Sevens four times, said that it was a pity the legendary South Stand would remain a mystery to her as the games were set to move to Kai Tak Sports Park next year, after having been held at Hong Kong Stadium since 1982. The South Stand is a traditionally rowdy spot at the Sevens.
“You can only go inside once you’re 18. I’m still six years away. It’s too bad that I cannot go in [before the move],” Leung said.
Only spectators aged over 18 are able to enter the South Stand, with security checks at its entrance.
Revellers enjoying the party atmosphere in the stand cannot bring in their own alcohol, but are able to purchase a wider range of spirits and cocktails there than anywhere else in the stadium, as well as customary pints of beer.
Allison Fung, Leung’s mother and a parent-coach to the two youngsters’ rugby team, said the children would usually enjoy the game booths and watch the adult matches after their junior games in the morning.
The Canadian and Japanese women’s teams kicked off the tournament at 10.30am on Friday, with the heavyweight men’s duo of France and Australia rounding up the day at 8.56pm.
Hong Kong Stadium simmered in occasional cheers in the morning, before erupting in shouts and applause in the afternoon as the venue became half-filled.
Food and drinks sales were also in full swing as the air smelled of beer with spectators clutching jugfuls of the drink back to their seats.
Sunny Rekhani, one of the managing directors and owners of Ebenezer’s Kebabs and Pizzeria, said that he expected a 20 to 25 per cent jump in sales at the Sevens this year.
“People are buying more, with our experience so far, the total sales is going to increase by 20 to 25 per cent from last year,” Rekhani said, adding sales on Friday afternoon had been encouraging.
His business partner and brother Anil Rekhani added that they noticed more foreigners among the crowd on Friday.
Sunny said he had also hired 10 more staff members to man the Hong Kong Stadium stall than last year, expecting his business to become even busier on the weekend.
Between matches, some players were seen signing autographs and giving high-fives to spectators near the pitch after finishing their matches.
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A group of 11-year-old boys seated at the front row said they managed to get autographs from Argentina and South Africa players, as well as take pictures with some of them.
“It’s cool. He is one of my favourite players,” Ryan Cheuk, who got an autograph from an Argentinian player, said.
“I thought he’d just walk by,” the Sevens fifth-timer added.
New Zealand are the defending champions in both the men’s and women’s events.
Hong Kong’s women and men both defeated China on the opening day in a new Melrose Claymores competition that is running as part of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.
In the evening, Cantopop girl group LollyTalk, former America’s Got Talent contestant Celine Tam Tsz-kwan and DJ James Haskell got the crowd pumped up with performances.
LollyTalk covered pop songs “Bang Bang” and “Shake It Off”, before performing their own hit “Set A Fire” with an entourage of dancers.
Tam sang classic pop song “Sweet Caroline”, a regular crowd favourite at the event, to a sea of lit-up mobile phones.
On Saturday, fans can enter the stadium from 7am, ahead of a 9.30am start, and from 8am on Sunday before the first match at 9.40am.
