Sevens heaven

Dress to impress in Hong Kong

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 regularly 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 from 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.

Given each game lasts only 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, evident by the sprinkling of All Blacks jerseys throughout 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 rugby shirt supporting their nation, they were dressed up in silly costumes. The Lionel Messis won my vote for best dressed. 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 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 between each game.

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 the different modes of public transport use the same payment service: an Octopus card.

Before arriving on Saturday, I had already made my way 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 heart of the Causeway Bay shopping district.

While Hong Kong takes a while to wake up, there are endless eateries close to the stadium to fuel you for the day’s action.

Little Bao, owned by worldrenowned chef May Chow, was my pick for pre-game lunch. I opted for its 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 Parisianthemed 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 new 50,000-seat stadium in Kowloon set to open later this year after numerous delays. 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.

PHOTOGRAPHS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM

New Zealand did the double in Hong Kong this year. Natasha Olson-Thorne got the Hong Kong crowd on their feet when she dived across to score a try.