A little rain came on Saturday at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens but it didn’t bother the pink flamingoes, the chickens, or the Egyptian pharaohs out there in the South Stand.
Tradition demands that Saturday is party time at the Hong Kong Stadium, and it’s an opportunity for fans to let their imaginations - and their costume choices - run wild. And so there was all that birdlife, all those characters from ancient times, and a decent mix of modern-day cartoon heroes thrown into the mix.
They sang and they danced to the Hong Kong Stadium soundtrack, then they rocked and they rolled as the legendary band The Wailers took centre stage in the middle of the afternoon.
Over 33,000 fans thrilled to the action in the main event as Day Two of the HSBC SVNS tournaments played out, and Sunday’s Cup semi-final line-ups were settled, bringing the two day total to 63,000 plus over two days.
On the men’s side of the cup draw it will be Ireland against France and Australia against New Zealand, while the final four in the women’s competition sees USA face France and New Zealand face arch-rivals Australia.
New Zealand captain Dylan Collier saw his team emerge from a tough encounter with Fiji 19-12 in the quarter-finals and then said inspiration had come from… where else?
“That South Stand’s pretty unreal,” he said. “It's an awesome crowd. Hopefully we get all the way to the big dance. There’s so much history in this stadium. To win this last one here would be awesome.”
Hong Kong, China’s women’s team did their very best to raise the temperature, too, as they made it two-from-two in the inaugural Melrose Claymore tournament beating Thailand to advance to tomorrow’s final.
The day began with another of the Hong Kong Sevens’ finest traditions - mini rugby in the morning - as over 1,700 of the city’s future rugby stars got what for many was their first look at the Hong Kong Stadium’s famed turf.
Many no doubt left inspired to follow in the footsteps of their heroes, as current Hong Kong China star Max Denmark explained.
“When you run out there it looks like the biggest place in the world,” said Denmark, who first took part in mini rugby as a seven year old.
“Being part of the Hong Kong Sevens weekend gives all those kids something to aim for,” Denmark added.
From the smiles on the faces of the tens of thousands of fans inside the stadium the same target has been achieved for rugby fans of all ages and from around the world.
The Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens is proud of being an “M” Mark event that helps enhance the image of Hong Kong as Asia’s sports event capital. The “M” Mark awarded by the Major Sports Events Committee, symbolising intense, spectacular and signature event in the territory sports calendar.