Hong Kong farewelled in style
There was double delight for the New Zealand men’s and women’s teams on Sunday night as they farewelled the famous Hong Kong Stadium in the best possible way.
Giants of the sevens circuit, such as the late Jonah Lomu and Eric Rush, once wowed the crowds at the iconic venue but it will no longer stage the World Rugby sevens series because future tournaments will be held at a new facility called the Kai Tak Sports Park.
All Blacks Sevens skipper Dylan Collier reflected on the history of the events that have been held at the ground well before the sport turned professional in the mid1990s.
“It is the home of sevens, a lot of history in this stadium right here,’’ Collier said.
Team-mate Scott Curry said the Hong Kong event was always a highlight for players, who enjoy going to work in front of the boisterous crowds.
“It's hard to put into words. This place is so special. It means a lot to our team,’’ Curry said.
“This is the one tournament we put up there, we want to win this every year. So, man, to come back here after last year's effort and do it again. It's awesome.’’
Michaela Blyde scored a hat-trick in the final of her 50th tournament with the Black Ferns Sevens as they won their third title in a row in the world series, and also defended their crown in Hong Kong.
New Zealand proved far too strong in the women’s final, cruising past the United States 36-7, with Blyde scoring twice in the first half and once in the second.
The Black Ferns Sevens’ triumph followed wins in Los Angeles and Vancouver earlier this year.
It also moved them top of the world series league standings heading into the final tournament of the regular season in Singapore next month.
Curry shrugged off an early knock to his leg which left him limping to score the try that put the All Blacks Sevens ahead early in the second half of their decider against France.
Collier, when asked in the post-match interview about Curry’s ability to play through the pain barrier, praised his teammate’s hard-nosed attitude:
“He’s a heck of a player, that man,’’ Collier said.
“He’s been around for a while, and he’s been at the top of his game for a long time. To have him there with me, and to help me with my leadership, has been awesome.’’
Cody Vai then extended New Zealand’s lead, before Varian Pasquet scored right as time expired, which left the All Blacks Sevens on top, 10-7. It was the All Blacks Sevens’ first title of the 2023-24 series.
Thebigpicture
The Black Ferns Sevens have won three tournaments in a row and have moved past Australia at the top of the women’s league standings by virtue of their superior points difference, with both teams tied on 106 points.
The All Blacks Sevens have won a tournament for the first time this season and sit fifth in the men’s league standings.
What’s next
The 2023-24 World Sevens Series next heads to Singapore from May 3-5 – the last stop before the league winners are crowned. The top eight teams on the standings then advance to the winner-takes-all grand final tournament in Madrid, Spain from May 31 to June 2.