This is how you run a rugby tournament: A fan's experience of the Hong Kong Sevens
The Hong Kong leg of the IRB Sevens leaves New Zealand in the dust in terms of stadium experience, writes Jamie Wall.
Attention Lions fans: we welcome you here to Aotearoa next month. Please enjoy our hospitality, tourist destinations and unrelenting reminders of how good the All Blacks are.
Sadly, our stadium experience may leave many of you disappointed. Attending the Hong Kong Sevens – a different, more debaucherous beast than a Lions tour, to be sure – has reaffirmed my view that Kiwi rugby grounds are soulless boxes that have had all the fun stolen from them.
As All Blacks fans, my mate and I were fashionably late to the Hong Kong Sevens, but only by about 20 years. The golden age of Kiwi dominance in the shortened form of the game is now over. Our mid-90s heydey, when the likes of Jonah Lomu and Christian Cullen regularly featured in classic matches against the other Sevens powerhouse, Fiji, a distant memory.
The good news was that in terms of atmosphere, the tournament with the longest and most prestigious history in Sevens hasn’t lost a step.
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The stadium is situated up against a uniquely local backdrop of lush green hillsides dotted with 50-storey apartment blocks. It is also surrounded by many, many scalpers. You can’t go twenty paces along the surrounding streets without hearing “Tickeeeets! Buying or selling tickeeets mate?”
For some reason, it’s a profession solely undertaken by Ben Sherman-clad young men from the East End of London. Hong Kong seems a long way to go for a career yelling at people on their way to a stadium to buy something they presumably already have, but fair enough.
After a couple of conversations about how business was going, it seemed like what they were charging wasn’t all that unreasonable either. This all led to a perplexing and as yet unresolved conversation about black market economics. You’re not going to get that in New Zealand, although you may have some luck paying up to 10 times the face value for a ticket on local site TradeMe.
Reppin' @SuiseyFanwear at the Hong Kong Sevens. #hk7s pic.twitter.com/ebyQ1QFMiO
— Jamie Wall (@JamieWall2) April 8, 2017
Our costume choice of customised tuxedo jackets, while looking incredibly smart, were not the best for combatting the local heat. We’d walked 40 minutes from our AirBnB to take in a few of the sights, sounds and overpowering smells of Hong Kong, so by the time we got into the ground we were parched. We bought a two-litre jug of cold beer and stood in the shade of the east stand.
That’s right, a jug of beer. And you can get the same quantity of rum and coke, vodka Red Bull or Bloody Marys. You won’t get anything even approaching that size at Eden Park, where three matches of the tour are taking place. However, British fans may be happy to learn that the overpriced beer in piddly plastic bottles will no doubt be nice and warm.
Here's why the #Welly7s died: they didn't have jugs of spirits. #OhHellYeah #hk7s pic.twitter.com/YOsZlHjKZB
— Jamie Wall (@JamieWall2) April 8, 2017
Before long we dared venture into the infamous South Stand. (It seems to be illegal to use ‘South Stand’ without the prefix ‘infamous’). As the concourse around the back of the stand seemed to get narrower, a funnel of perspiration hung heavy in the air. The costumes and hearty drinking that the Sevens is famous for were all on display, all in an R18 area where no pearl-clutching parents could get offended.
Made it to the infamous South Stand. #hk7s pic.twitter.com/z4a9wKZ2le
— Jamie Wall (@JamieWall2) April 8, 2017
This is where the Hong Kong Sevens got its reputation from. Every sticky step brought us closer to a bevvy of booze-glazed torsos, clad in the remnants of whatever fancy dress had survived the drunken hours leading up to then. The majority of the fans seemed to be young Brits, most likely the sons and daughters of the people that will be following the Lions. If that’s the case, the future of British sports drunkenness is in good hands.
The South Stand is so popular it had been full since 7am that morning (two hours before any rugby was going to be played). The queues to get into the stand snaked all the way back to the halfway line. Those who made it through a day in there came out considerably worse for wear. Pity the poor people who had to clean up afterwards.
I suppose it’s only fair to mention the actual rugby that was being played while all this was going on. The All Blacks Sevens were again disappointing. We were, however, treated to American Perry Baker’s game-changing speed, a healthy diet of German rugby (they seemed to be playing every time we looked up) and a predictable Fijian tournament victory.
If you were there too, and you’re coming down to New Zealand for the Lions tour, don’t expect anything like that. The sad thing is, we used to have a Sevens tournament that could rival Hong Kong, but it was killed off by rule-makers and poor forward thinking by the organisers.
When the All Blacks take the field, the entertainment will be entirely confined to the field of play. Which is a shame, but that’s the way we do it down here.
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments