Hong Kong in Sevens heaven as dazzling display marks start of 50th year
Not even a leaky roof at Kai Tak Stadium can put a dampener on proceedings as 34,368 fans pass through gates on day one
Even so, the thunderstorms that hovered over the city for much of the afternoon did little to deter spectators generally, with organisers announcing before the first day’s matches had started that all three-day tickets were sold out, leaving just a handful of single-day seats available on ticketing platform Klook.
And while the record daily attendance that officials had hoped for did not materialise, some 34,368 fans passed through the gates over the course of the day.
50th Hong Kong Sevens opens at Kai Tak Stadium
Those who made the trip got to see the city’s men and women make contrasting starts to their Melrose Claymores competitions, with the former brushing aside China 36-14, and the latter needing a last-gasp score from Chong Ka-yan to secure a 14-14 draw with Denmark.