‘Vibrant’ Hong Kong Sevens gets off to ‘great start’, businesses already concerned over Kai Tak switch
- The Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens got under way in So Kon Po on Friday
- Roughly 42 per cent of sold-out crowd travelled from overseas, fans watched twin Hong Kong victories, and flawless stars for defending champions
The Hong Kong Sevens returned to something approaching normal 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 on Friday.
More than 30,000 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 who did make the trip arrived from Fiji, and 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 starts to the defences of their titles.
Hong Kong’s men and women got in on 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 coming from the famously raucous South Stand.
Police took a largely hands-off approach. A small number lined up facing supporters as the event reached its conclusion, but no arrests were made and there was little sign of any sporting rivalry extending beyond that.
