The party has not stopped at the Hong Kong Sevens
The Hong Kong stop on the global circuit is sevens heaven for rugby fans, writes Phillip Rollo.
Standing in the South Stand at the Hong Kong Stadium, surrounded by Teletubbies, Peppa Pigs and Lionel Messi, singing along to classic hits music, I was immediately transported back to the Wellington Sevens.
But unlike in New Zealand, which no longer features on the global SVNS series, the party has not stopped in Hong Kong.
Formerly known as the World Rugby Sevens Series, the re-branded SVNS now includes eight tournaments at different major cities: Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Singapore, Madrid and, of course, Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Sevens was first held in 1976 and is one of four tournaments to have featured on the world series since 1999.
Although the same number of points are on offer, it is the most famous and prestigious of all the tournaments. If there is one must-attend event, it is the Hong Kong Sevens. The time zone is only four to five hours different to New Zealand and direct flights from Auckland make it an easy destination to travel to, even if it’s just for a three-day festival of rugby.
While All Blacks tests are serious business and notorious for the lack of atmosphere, the Hong Kong Sevens is the complete opposite. It is all about the entertainment. Just like the Wellington Sevens used to be.
Although the South Stand, situated beneath a backdrop of high-rise apartment buildings, is the dedicated party zone, the vast majority of the 40,000-strong crowd arrived in fancy dress. Given each game only lasts 14 minutes, there are barely any stoppages and every tackle or breakaway try is met with a huge roar from the crowd, especially when host nation Hong Kong are playing.
New Zealand is also a crowd favourite as evident by the sprinkling of All Blacks jerseys scattered through the crowd.
In the bustling shopping hub of Causeway Bay, it was so easy to spot who was on their way to the rugby in the afternoon.
If they weren’t wearing a shirt supporting their nation, they were dressed up in silly costumes. The Lionel Messis won my vote for best dressed, after the Argentine football star caused controversy in Hong Kong a few months earlier when his team Inter Miami played at Hong Kong Stadium, only for Messi to remain on the bench.
Some of the biggest names in rugby have played in Hong Kong, including the legendary Jonah Lomu. This year, former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper, playing his first game since switching to sevens, was the headline act.
But the beauty of the Hong Kong Sevens is that the entertainment is not just restricted to the action on the field.
Arnel Pineda, the lead singer of Journey, got the crowd on their feet when he pranced around the sideline belting out cover after cover before finishing his set with Don’t Stop Believin’ in the lead-up to the gold medal matches.
The South Stand held their voices for most of the tournament, singing and dancing to the live music played in between each game. There was arguably more star power in the stands than on the field this year. Former All Blacks Dan Carter and Sean Fitzpatrick, Springbok Victor Matfield and Wallabies Drew Mitchell and Adam Ashley-Cooper were just a few of the famous faces spotted wandering the concourse, giving fans a chance to meet their heroes.The first games of the day kicked off in the early afternoon, which allowed for ample time to explore Hong Kong Island in the morning before heading to the stadium.
It’s so easy to get around in Hong Kong as all public transport use the same payment service: an Octopus card.
Before arriving on Saturday, I had already made my way up to the Peak, where I spotted a few Wallabies filming a rugby show, and over to Kowloon on the Star Ferry, and still had plenty of time to spare before grabbing lunch.
Hong Kong Stadium is ideally situated in So Kon Po, less than 10 minutes’ walk from the Causeway Bay shopping district.
While Hong Kong takes a while to wake up, there are endless eateries within close proximity to the stadium to fuel you for the day’s action. Little Bao, owned by world-renowned chef May Chow, was my pick for pre-game lunch. I opted for their lunch
special of a bao and truffle fries. The fried chicken was crunchy and the fries were salty. I went back the next day, too.
In New Zealand, it’s usually time to head to a bar, or to bed, when fulltime sounds at the end of the night. In Hong Kong, hundreds, if not thousands, headed straight for the shopping centres that stay open late at night, of which there are many in Causeway Bay.
The day doesn’t have to end with the rugby in Hong Kong.
As the sevens took place in the afternoon and evening, the ease of access meant it was also possible to come and go as you pleased. If you wanted, you could focus your sports-watching schedule around particular teams.
I stayed at Lanson Place, a luxury Parisian-themed hotel, which was basically just around the corner from Hong Kong Stadium, but there were many other accommodation options just a short stroll away too.
This year was expected to be the last at the iconic but ageing Hong Kong Stadium, with a brand new 50,000-seat stadium in Kowloon set to open after numerous delays later this year.
It felt like we were witnessing history as both the All Blacks Sevens and Black Ferns Sevens signed off by winning their respective finals.
The Hong Kong Sevens might be moving to a new location next year, but the party will rage on.