The magnificent Sevens

I was 9 years old when I went to my first Rugby Sevens . From the moment I stepped into Hong Kong Stadium, I was hooked. Whether dancing to Tina Turner-helmed halftime shows or showing up in costume and cheering on the players – and streakers – alongside 40,000 other fans, I was a typical Hong Kong international school kid in that I was obsessed with everything about the Sevens – sometimes even the rugby.

In some ways, I grew up at the Sevens and can map out my life through it. As a child, I’d sneak into the box level: a freebie goldmine of tiny Cathay Pacific-branded rugby balls and shirts. Or my dad would take me to the pitch entry points, to watch players jog into the stadium, which roared like a unified beast.

When my friends and I were teenagers, the East Stand was our kingdom. We bellowed whenever Hong Kong scored, painted flags on each other’s cheeks and did our GCSE coursework in the stands. One year, I migrated to the West Stand to hide from my Welsh father, as I was dating a boy with the Scottish flag spray-painted into his hair: a sure betrayal.

If the box level was Disneyland to a child, then to a teenager the South Stand was the kingdom of heaven. The Sevens’ famous party zone was guarded by exhausted security who spent the day batting us away.

Once I was old enough to get in, it was worth the decade’s wait. The camaraderie of the South Stand remains unmatched, wherever you sit. I would wake up at 7am, squeeze into a costume picked up from Pottinger Street, and rush to the South Stand to nab a front-row seat to the action. When we had to queue to get in, we’d end up partying with others waiting: from the teacher dressed like Elsa, marking papers with a beer in hand, to the army of lads clad in Cool Runnings outfits.

The day after our wedding, I even made my new husband leave our honeymoon staycation so I could introduce him to the calm side of the Sevens, in the North Stand. We ended up in the South Stand anyway.

The last Sevens at Hong Kong Stadium feels like saying goodbye to a dear childhood friend. It’s seen me through the years and brought me nothing but joy – and an accidental appreciation of rugby. On behalf of everyone else who grew up there, thank you for everything. I can’t wait to make some new memories.

The Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens runs 5-7 April at Hong Kong Stadium.

Team salute

Players past and present share memories of Hong Kong Stadium

Rob Naylor

Former Hong Kong China Rugby Sevens player

Running out from the tunnel to warm up in front of the South Stand for the first time is a memory I’ll take to my grave. I remember sitting in the changing room next to [fellow player] Chris Gordon, who said to me, “Junior, the next three days are going to be better than you have ever imagined. Embrace it, as it’s gone in a flash.

Semiquaver Iafeta

Rugby Asia channel host, former Hong Kong China Rugby 15s player

I’ll miss the hundreds of people behind the scenes who make the Sevens happen but don’t get enough recognition: taxi drivers, food vendors, security guards and cleaners.

I’ll also miss the energy of the stadium and the corporate box parties with my friends from Swire and Cathay Pacific.

Chloe Chan

Hong Kong China Women’s Rugby Sevens player

My favourite memory was playing against New Zealand. They’re one of the best teams in the world and, even though we lost, I was proud to play for Hong Kong against them. I’ll miss the atmosphere and the South Stand – the dressing up and all that fun.

Max Woodward

Hong Kong China Rugby Sevens captain

During a lull in a game, sometimes the entire stadium just begins chanting, “Hong Kong, Hong Kong”. It’s very special. At the last Sevens, the whole place was pumping. Kids in Hong Kong shirts were lining up to get autographs. I’m sure that energy is going to be replicated in the next stadium.

Cado Lee

Hong Kong China Rugby Sevens player

I grew up watching the Sevens on TV. Our last Sevens game at Hong Kong Stadium is going to be a very special occasion for everyone. No matter what happens next, people will remember how amazing it was to play here.

Additional reporting by Lauren James and Charlie Robertson