Party time flyby as raucous Hong Kong Sevens settles into new home

HONG KONG – The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens taking place from March 28 will be a big test for the shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion (S$5.2 billion) sports park in the city.

Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak stadium. Following that, the sevens will move to Singapore on April 5 and 6.

Hong Kong organisers hope to entice major European football teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December saying that English Premier League giants Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour.

Coldplay will perform there in April, all part of Hong Kong’s bid to re-establish the city as a hub for international sport, culture and entertainment.

The biggest event in rugby sevens, with organisers saying they have sold a record over 130,000 tickets for the tournament from March 28 to 30, is seen as key to restoring Hong Kong’s reputation.

The city’s image took a battering after political protests led to Beijing imposing a sweeping national security law.

Visitor numbers plummeted during almost three years of strict Covid-19 curbs and have only recently begun to recover.

“We feel very fortunate, via the hosting of the sevens, to be able to help strengthen the role of Hong Kong as one of the world’s most vibrant and accessible destinations for major international events,” said Chris Brooke, chairman of organisers Hong Kong China Rugby.

The annual tournament, which has witnessed the emergence of rugby greats such as Jonah Lomu, was first held in 1976 and from the early 1980s took place in the heart of the city at the 40,000-capacity Hong Kong Stadium.

D.J. Forbes, the former New Zealand