‘Vibrant’ Sevens sees fans flock back
Some 42 per cent of the crowd at sold-out stadium travelled from overseas
The Hong Kong Sevens returned to something approaching normality for the first time since the pandemic, as overseas visitors flocked to the city and supporters packed out the stadium for the opening day of the tournament yesterday.
More than 30,000 rugby fans filed through the gates at the event’s iconic home in Causeway Bay, with organisers estimating that some 42 per cent of those had travelled from abroad to witness the last time it would take place at its home for the past 42 years.
Those that did make the trip arrived from Fiji, Australia, Bermuda and South America, and beyond, desperate to either experience it for the first time, or for the umpteenth.
On the field, New Zealand’s men and women picked up where they left off last year, brushing aside all-comers and making staunch defences of their titles.
Hong Kong’s men and women got into the action too, taking on and beating their Chinese counterparts as part of the Melrose Claymore competitions. Local supporters made their feelings known when China scored, and shouts of “Hong Kong! Add Oil!” could be heard from the famously raucous South Stand.
Police though took a largely hands-off approach, with a small number standing in a line facing supporters as the event reached its conclusion, but no arrests were made and there was little sign of any friendly rivalry extending beyond that.
“I think it’s been a fantastic first day,” Robbie McRobbie, the CEO of Hong Kong China Rugby, said. “We have had 30,000-plus people through the gates and the atmosphere was probably one of the most vibrant I have seen on a Friday.
“We showcased some of the best that Hong Kong can offer in our entertainment acts, and the rugby, with two wins for the Hong Kong China teams, you just couldn’t have scripted it better. It’s been a great start and we are really looking forward to the next two days.”
Among those attending were Quentin Hillbrand and Francisco Sanchez, who flew in from Tokyo.
Dressed as the mascot of the Argentina team, Sanchez said he had high hopes for the party atmosphere over the next two days. “It’s just the start. It’s quiet now, but I have high expectations,” Sanchez said, while Hillbrand added he wanted to “see everything” at the Sevens.
And while local businesses said customer numbers were still down on pre-2019 levels, economists predicted the event would bring a HK$320 million financial windfall to the city – though that is still lower than the HK$400 million five years ago when half of the spectators came from overseas.
“However, there is a risk that elevated hotel prices may reduce the period of stays and crowd out other types of consumption,” Gary Ng Cheuk-yan, a senior economist with Natixis Corporate and Investment Bank, said.
“It means that the muchbattered retail sector and catering services may see a more minor lift than before.”
Still, bars and restaurants in the city’s nightspots of Wan Chai and Lan Kwai Fong were happy to see the return of customers sorely missed in the intervening years.
Mike Gurung, co-owner of Carnegies, said most of his patrons last night were tourists coming from various places for the rugby, and he was expecting a 20 to 30 per cent growth in business over the weekend compared to last year.
“All the bars and those in food and beverage benefit from the sevens games after the Covid-19 slowed down business,” he said.
Hanging over that, however, is the fact the tournament is expected to move to Kai Tak Sports Park next year, and owners were divided over the potential impact of the switch.
Diwas Limbu, the general manager of Joe Bananas, said the bar had been serving fans since it opened 38 years ago, and did not expect that to change. “If people have been partying in Wan Chai for a long time, they will always come to Wan Chai,” he said.
But Tsang Siu-ching, the owner of Ruggers in Causeway Bay, said she was “very worried” and expected business to fall by 30 to 40 per cent as a result.
On Thursday, organisers announced the event had sold out for the first time since Covid restrictions were lifted, and overseas ticket sales were nearly 20 per cent higher than last year and significantly more than the 3 per cent in 2022.
According to the latest figures, the sevens, which was awarded “M” Mark status, reflecting its position “as one of the premier events in the world”, has contributed to the increase in visitors returning to the city, while arrivals in the first two months of this year were up 12 per cent from 2023 to around 7.83 million.
The atmosphere was probably one of the most vibrant I have seen on a Friday
ROBBIE McROBBIE, HONG KONG CHINA RUGBY CEO