‘The Olympic Games of rugby union’: 50 years of the Hong Kong Sevens

When it comes to the world of SVNS Rugby, few cities compare to Hong Kong.

There is a strong case to be made that it is the tournament when fans think of the World Series, and it is no surprise they do, as 2026 marks 50 years since it became an annual event on the city calendar.

It’s easy to see why it is held in high regard: with its original format proving the blueprint to what the HSBC SVNS World Series has become today.

Its origins extend far beyond its first season in 1976, with connections dating back to the city’s time under British rule. While the sport always had a foothold on the island, the founding of the Hong Kong Rugby Union in 1953 changed things rapidly.

Following the first rugby sevens tournament to feature national representative teams taking place in Scotland in 1973 (to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Scottish Rugby Union), calls began to grow to replicate the format elsewhere.

The tournament at Murrayfield, featuring hosts Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Wales, England, France and a SRU President’s VII side, caught the attention of Rodney Bentham-Wood, who was involved with British tobacco manufacturer Rothmans International PLC.

Bentham-Wood was keen to bring the concept to Hong Kong, teaming up with Hong Kong Rugby Club chairman Tokkie Smith to create a 15-a-side tournament, but ultimately settling on Sevens due to its faster and cheaper format.

The resulting 1976 tournament saw several firsts, becoming one of the first rugby tournaments to attract major sponsorship from airline Cathay Pacific.

Countries from Asia and the Pacific were invited to send teams, with 12 nations ultimately represented, including non-national sides from Australia and New Zealand. The New Zealand Cantabrians side defeated the Australian Wallaroos side 24-8 in the final.

However, the inaugural tournament was a colossal success, its format of games played in quick succession across several days proving popular with fans.

The event also saw the likes of players from emerging rugby nations stand out, with Japan, South Korea, Samoa and Tonga receiving heavy praise for their skillset and fast approach.

As a result, it became an annual event, with Tokkie Smith managing the tournaments in 1977 and 1978, expanding the number of teams featured.

The event continued to prove popular, moving to the Hong Kong Stadium in 1982, and with that, it became the first established event of what would become the World Series SVNS circuit.

Bill McLaren, the famous Scottish commentator regarded as ‘the voice of rugby’, even called the Hong Kong Sevens ‘the Olympic Games of rugby union’, speaking highly in his autobiography of the tournament’s impact as it grew throughout the eighties and nineties:

“The Hong Kong event encapsulates all the really good things that the game has to offer–splendid organisation, wonderful sporting spirit, universal camaraderie, admirable field behaviour, the most enjoyable crowd participation, the chance for emergent rugby nations to lock horns with the mighty men of New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Wales, Scotland and the Barbarians.

“There is, too, scintillating running and handling, which is what the game is supposed to be all about.”

With the dawn of professionalism in the nineties, the event proved so popular that it was considered too big for the Hong Kong Stadium, which subsequently had to be rebuilt.

The event also hosted the Rugby World Cup Sevens in 1997 and 2005, continuing to prove popular after Hong Kong’s transfer of sovereignty to China.

Across its long history, only six nations have ever won the Men’s Sevens, with Fiji winning the championship 19 times, while reaching the final an impressive 30 times.

The island nation’s reputation for Sevens success was built in Hong Kong off the back of a strong rivalry with New Zealand, the Kiwis winning 13 championships and reaching the final 23 times, with Australia rounding out the top three performers with six championships.

The Women’s Sevens began in 1997, with New Zealand topping the tally with five titles, while nine nations have tasted victory on Hong Kong soil.

Moving to its third home in the Kai Tak Stadium 2025, last year saw Argentina claim their first-ever title at the venue, defeating France 12-7 in the final.

As the event returns for its 50th year, the Hong Kong SVNS continues to be a major epicentre for Sevens rugby, hosting the men’s and women’s World Series and the Melrose Claymores Shield that sees emerging sides, including hosts Hong Kong, continue to compete.

However, this year the event is set to take on new meaning, marking the first event in the new-look three-leg World Championship series, which will determine the winners of the 2025-26 season.

Where better to kick off the new finals format than the original home of Sevens rugby?