Kai Tak Main Stadium played host to the University Sports Federation of Hong Kong, China’s (USFHK) rugby sevens tournament finals on Sunday 5 January.
The event, delivered in partnership with Hong Kong China Rugby and Kai Tak Sports Park, served as the first Test Event for the new state-of-the-art 50,000-seat venue. 10,247 fans were in attendance after invited guests received tickets from participating universities, rugby clubs, HKCR community partners and other stadium stakeholders.
University stars from 18 teams (10 men’s and 8 women’s) seized their once-in-a-lifetime moment of running out onto the pitch in the brand-new stadium. In all, 17 matches were played, with City of Hong Kong University Women and Hong Kong Baptist University Men crowned champions before being honoured with the Hong Kong Sevens tradition of climbing the steps to lift the trophy in front of Hong Kong China Rugby’s Suite (click to view the tournament results and the event photo gallery).
The stadium’s retractable roof was closed for Sunday’s event, allowing a test of ambience, atmosphere and acoustics for an indoor setting that could be implemented for part of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens in March. The field of play for the Sevens was also given a first run out, with the latest “Lay and Play” technology allowing this to return to the turf nursery after the event before being brought back to Kai Tak in March.
From a fan perspective, the lower bowl of all four stands was open, including the top of the South Stand onto the South Terrace, which offers stunning views over Victoria Harbour, all in the comfort of the stadium’s air conditioning. 10 concession stands were open for fans to try out the stadium’s food and drink menus, including the 100-metre Champions Bar on the East Concourse. Fans also enjoyed a sneak peek of some of the music and big screen entertainment that will feature at the Sevens in March.
Operationally, the venue’s 20 changing rooms, areas for players and referees, medical provision, event control room and media hosting were all given a substantial test through eight hours of rugby sevens action. Hong Kong China’s top referees Sunny Lee and Craig Chan also got a first taste of officiating games at the new venue.
Tickets are selling fast for the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, which takes place from 28-30 March 2025. A three-day event pass is HK$1,950 for adults, and HK$950 for children aged 12 and under – available exclusively from the Hong Kong Sevens ticket page.
A limited number of single day tickets are also available through HKCR’s partnership with KLOOK. These are priced at HK$500 (Adult Friday), HK$1,200 (Adult Saturday), HK$1,200 (Adult Sunday), and HK$300 (Child Friday), HK$600 (Child Saturday), HK$600 (Child Sunday) – available exclusively from Klook.