Hong Kong Sevens: when the world turns up for a party – on and off the pitch
- Rugby sevens stars from South Africa, New Zealand and more reveal what it means for them to play in the iconic tournament and savour the delights of the city
- Frantic, all-action knockout stages of annual tournament, which Fiji won last year, always ensure an unforgettable occasion
There’s a buzz in the air around Hong Kong that has nothing to do with spring – and everything to do with Hong Kong Sevens – considered the premier tournament of the World Rugby Sevens Series. Every year, as the world’s best players arrive from rugby sevens hotspots such as Fiji, New Zealand, England and Australia, the normal level of anticipation ahead of the weekend goes into overdrive.
This year’s 44th Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens gets underway on April 5. The event itself is instilled with history and has become an exciting sporting and festive ritualistic experience. For those people who did not grow up watching stars such as the New Zealand duo, Christian Cullen and the late Jonah Lomu – who made his name internationally at the 1994 Hong Kong Sevens – and the incomparable Fijian great Waisale Serevi, the weekend is an excuse for unabashed fun.
Nothing compares
Cecil Afrika plays rugby sevens for the South African Blitzboks. He’s a seven-time veteran of the Hong Kong tournament and his enthusiasm has never waned. Afrika was a member of the sevens team that won the bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and they have been finalists in Hong Kong four times, but never won the competition. Afrika’s goal in sevens is to be part of the first South African team to win in Hong Kong.
“The Hong Kong event is special, it’s like the final stop on the World Series, no other competition around the world can compare,” Afrika says. For him and many other players, the history of the Hong Kong Sevens as the first truly global rugby tournament has given it a legendary status.
Tim Mikkelson co-captain of New Zealand’s famed All Blacks Sevens, grew up watching the Hong Kong Sevens on television. Now sixth on the all-time list of the game’s top try scorers, he says the Hong Kong tournament is highpoint of the annual series and the one he looks forward to playing in most of all.
