Hong Kong Sevens: Fijian fans back in full voice – and they promise more to come over the weekend
- After 4 years’ wait, Hong Kong Stadium welcomes travelling fans and Fiji duly salute them with win on opening day
- ‘There’s no place in the world we would rather be. The atmosphere, the city, finally we are here again,’ says fan Vuli Savou
Vuli Savou was just one among many on Friday and among the many more to come on Saturday, but it still felt as if she was speaking for every Fijian sevens fan when she said there was only one way to describe how it felt returning to the Hong Kong Stadium.
“My gosh, it feels great,” she said. “We’re coming out of Covid-19, and we’re ready. There’s no place in the world we would rather be. The atmosphere, the city, it has been four year of waiting for us and now, look, finally we are here again.”
It has been four years between Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens for Savou and her posse of about 10 fellow travellers. They took the long way here, through Singapore and over a stretch that lasted about 24 hours but seemed so much longer.
They’re expecting many more to join them when the first direct flight from Nadi to Hong Kong since the pandemic eased lands on Saturday, and what will greet them will be a Fijian team who showed that they are here to right a wrong.
02:10
Hong Kong Sevens rugby returns, kicking off 3 days of partying
Going for six straight Hong Kong Sevens titles back in November they let Australia score and win 20-17 at the death.
On Friday, against a lively Samoa in Pool A, it looked for all the world like the Fijians had been focusing on defence as they stymied wave after wave of attack, and walked away 12-7 winners.
