
Stadium bosses brush off complaints as failures take shine off Hong Kong Sevens
For the second time in 24 hours, concession stands ran out of food and drinks, customers waited 45 minutes or more to be served, and there were stories of chaos and confusion among staff members.
There were issues outside Kai Tak Stadium, too, with gates remaining shut in the face of large numbers of people trying to enter the ground, once more raising questions about the effectiveness of the docile test events officials ran earlier in the year.
And there were long waits for taxis, made worse by the chilly temperatures that hit Hong Kong over the weekend, with the last of those leaving for the evening advised to find other means of getting home.
One official, who did not wish to be named, said it was obvious the park had 'significantly underestimated' what was required to stage the Sevens, while 'significantly overestimating' its capacity to do so.
Spectators in the stadium face long queues at food outlets. Photo: Eugene Lee
At least there were two strong performances from the city's teams in their respective Melrose Claymores competitions to warm fans.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


South China Morning Post
18-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
Powerplays, no half-time and cannon balls: new global sevens circuit eyes 2026 launch
A new sevens tournament based on clubs not countries, and format changes such as power plays and no half-time will launch in 2026, with officials believing it would help rather than hinder the sport. Bankrolled by BIA Sports Group (BSG), the company that owns Premier League club Sunderland, the hoped-to-be global competition has a working name of Project 7s and a start date of August next year. Games would be played over the course of four hours on one evening, rather than stretched across three days, and 164 of the world's best players have reportedly already been approached about being involved in the tournament. The new circuit, which has secured an eight-figure sum in seed funding, would involve seven men's and seven women's teams competing in seven venues across seven weeks in the summer, with London, Paris and Rome among the cities floated as possible locations for matches. When asked, Hong Kong China Rugby said it did not know anything about the project, which BSG said would not be in competition with the elite HSBC SVNS Series, of which the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens is a part. Kenya (red) and United States do battle during the Hong Kong Sevens 2025 at Kai Tak Stadium. Photo: Reuters In an interview with Tom Burwell, the BSG CEO, said he considered the new competition to be 'complementary to the ecosystem'.


RTHK
05-07-2025
- RTHK
HK, China qualify for Rugby World Cup for first time
HK, China qualify for Rugby World Cup for first time Hong Kong, China will make their Rugby World Cup debut in the 2027 tournament in Australia. Photo courtesy of Hong Kong, China Rugby Hong Kong, China qualified for the Rugby World Cup for the first time in their history on Saturday as they romped past South Korea 70-22 in Incheon to become Asian champions. The victory gave the SAR a sixth consecutive Asia Rugby Championship and with it a place in the expanded 24-team tournament to be hosted by Australia in 2027. Hong Kong, globally famous for its annual Sevens tournament, will now rub shoulders in the 15-a-side showpiece with the likes of world champions South Africa and New Zealand's All Blacks. "It's pretty overwhelming to be honest," said No.8 Josh Hrstich, the city's captain. "Just super, super proud of our playing group, our management, coaching staff and people behind the scenes. There's a lot that goes into making a team successful." "Thanks to everyone who has supported us and we're going to need them for the upcoming years because it's going to get pretty special." With Asian powerhouses Japan one of 12 teams who had already qualified by virtue of finishing in the top three of their pool in the 2023 World Cup, a berth was up for grabs for the continental champions. Hong Kong not only earned regional honours but also made history as only the second Asian team, after Japan, to qualify for a men's Rugby World Cup. The SAR finished comfortably on top of the four-team table after wins against the UAE (43-10), Sri Lanka (78-7) and South Korea in the past month. (AFP)


South China Morning Post
02-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
Rugby Premier League: Hong Kong star backs franchise model to power rugby sevens
After playing a significant role in the inaugural Rugby Premier League in India, Michael Coverdale has hailed franchise tournaments as 'the way forward' for the troubled sevens format. World Rugby has consistently meddled with international sevens, most recently chopping the number of elite series teams from 12 to eight for next season. As some countries axe or reduce their full-time programmes, RPL provided a two-week platform for some of the planet's best players to perform and earn. The competition was inspired by cricket's Indian Premier League, which has spawned multiple T20 franchise tournaments around the world. Hong Kong's Coverdale, whose Delhi Redz team lost Sunday's final to Chennai Bulls, said: 'I can see this as the way forward, and it being very beneficial for sevens, with another franchise league in the off-season, or around the World Series. 'The feedback from every player has been positive: everyone has been making friends and learning from each other.' Michael Coverdale will be back playing for Hong Kong again in September. Photo: Elson Li As finalists, Delhi played 12 16-minute matches in 14 days. 'The format is pretty brutal – towards the end of the tournament I was hanging on and struggling with fatigue,' Coverdale said.