F
or anyone who lived in Hong
Kong BC – Before Children
– the Hong Kong Sevens was
one of the highlights of the
year. Sports fanatics from around the
world descend on the city to join in the
carnival atmosphere of a weekend of
non-stop rugby union and socialising
with friends.
But don’t assume that the Sevens
and family fun are mutually exclusive.
While it’s a fixture on the calendar of
serious sports fans, there are a number
of events, part of the overall carnival,
which have created a family appeal.
It is possible with a bit of planning for
both the big and little people to be
part of what is one of Hong Kong’s
biggest parties.
From humble origins in 1976,
the Hong Kong Sevens is now an
integral part of the World Rugby
Sevens Series. In a nutshell, Sevens
is a slimline version of traditional
rugby with only seven players per
side instead of 15. It is played at a
fast and furious pace with each game
consisting of two seven-minute halves
with a one-minute break in between.
It is often a testing ground for
emerging players with previous
Sevens carnivals seeing the likes of
David Campese and Jonah Lomu
on the field.
The 2016 Cathay Pacific/HSBC
Hong Kong Sevens will be held this
year on the weekend of April 8-10 in
the 40,000 seat Hong Kong stadium.
Tickets are always in hot demand,
especially with Rugby Sevens about to
make its Olympic Games debut in Rio
de Janeiro this year.
Get your tickets
The authorised channels include
viagogo (
– the
Official Ticket Marketplace. In
addition to being the place to buy
tickets, this is also the recognised
channel where
fans can sell
tickets when
they can no
longer attend an event. Some might
have been lucky enough to pick up
one of the 9,000 tickets offered in a
public ballot between November 27,
2015 and January 31, 2016. The Hong
Kong Rugby Union also allocates
5,500 child tickets to the Hong Kong
Mini Rugby Football Union for the
Friday and Saturday of the Sevens.
There is, of course, a lot of last-minute
selling on online
forums, but Hong
Kong Rugby
Union urges fans
to use the official
channels.
Dress to impress
One of the really fun aspects of the
Sevens is the tradition of fancy dress,
which the kids will love. There is no
end of themed family
outfits to get into
the spirit of things.
But make sure you come prepared
as the weather can be unpredictable
and the kids might get sick of wearing
costumes after the first hour or two.
Do bring a bag of ponchos, hats,
sunglasses, sunscreen, rain jackets and
spare clothes.
Be prepared
Hand sanitiser and wet
wipes are also advisable.
But remember you can’t
bring in cans, glass
bottles or plastic bottles. Also banned
are vuvuzelas, rugby balls, selfie sticks
March 2016
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