‘Successful try' at the Sevens proves game changer for stadium

South China Morning Post

31-03-2025

After 40 years in Hong Kong Stadium, the city has staged its first Sevens rugby tournament at the new and shimmering Kai Tak Stadium. By most measurements it was an overwhelming success. The rugby, as was to be expected, was world-class, drawing a three-day total of more than 110,000 fans to cheer or groan as the action went their team's way, or against. A Cathay Pacific A350 staged a nostalgic fly-past. The new South Stand was in good form, its beer-infused costume party seamlessly transplanted to Kai Tak from So Kon Po.
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As the weekend progressed, however, teething problems emerged. Primary among them was a failure to ensure fans had full cups and stomachs. Many queued for food and drinks for 45 minutes or more. Some concession stands ran out of items. Tourism chief Rosanna Law Shuk-pui, after enduring delays buying food, told the park to 'fix it'. Lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun initially called it an unacceptable 'nightmare' for spectators, but later said improvements were made. These were clearly more than 'occasional gaps', as a Kai Tak Sports Park spokesman put it, and the sooner organisers address these issues, the better. After all, British band Coldplay play a series of concerts there next week.
For fans, lower-level seats open to the general public perhaps may have been more generous, with virtually all the pitchside blocked off for corporate boxes. Some overzealous staff also sent spectators on unnecessary detours to distant gates when closer ones were available.
Beyond the hitches, there was much to celebrate, starting with the drama on the pitch. New Zealand took the women's title with a defeat of Australia, while Argentina overcame France in the men's final for their first crown in the city. The Hong Kong men's team lifted the Melrose Claymores trophy after a comfortable win over China, as did the women, with a drubbing of Kazakhstan.
The stadium proved a hit for fans, with decent views from pretty much every section, comfortable seats and toilets that were far less of a worry than the ageing ones at the old stadium. The MTR and extra buses appeared to address transport concerns.
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World Rugby chairman Brett Robinson declared it 'one of the great sevens events of the global calendar'. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu called the Kai Tak tournament a 'successful try'. The cheers had hardly faded when it emerged there was football magic to come with AC Milan set to play Liverpool and Arsenal to face Tottenham at the stadium in July.