Tag: hksevens

I am writing this fresh off a big weekend at the Hong Kong Rugby 7’s. My first Hong Kong 7’s was 30 years ago at the Hong Kong Stadium. This year the tournament moved to the new Kai Tak Stadium. It is an impressive structure with the option for the roof to be open or closed. I had not appreciated that when the roof is closed there is air conditioning! A game changer for Hong Kong’s humid weather.

Hong Kong 7’s at the New Kai Tak Stadium

Previously the site of the old Kai Tak airport and located on Kowloon side. This is a change from the previous Hong Kong Stadium which was on Hong Kong side. A great encouragement for visitors to head to the Dark Side!

The Good

• A clear, close view of the pitch.
• Aircon if roof closed. I actually preferred the roof open although clear blue skies would have been a treat. Instead we got grey skies pretty much the same colour as the grey roof!
• Lovely outdoor area and the Village was great. Lots of games and prizes for kids and seating areas with tables. 3 special booths – Veuve, G&T’s and Whispering Angel!

Improvements

Things I hope they improve on for next year

• Food. Limited options and under catered. Queues were long and service was very slow. Running out of rice at an Asian venue is just embarrassing.
• VIP/Corporate Access. So many access points were restricted to VIP guests. Because of this Joe Public had to circumnavigate the stadium just to find an entry point. On the flip side, access to some corporate boxes required going through back of house. Dodging trolleys of food and service staff was slightly bizarre.
  Also there were several bottle necks particularly in the west stand. Cordoning off even more walkway space for VIPs was unnecessary and again inconvenienced Joe Public.
• The Sound. Not great with the roof open. So it will be interesting to see how they manage with Coldplay coming up.
• Car drop off/pick up. This needs to be much clearer and requires more signage. Currently it seems everywhere is illegal to stop or be collected!

The easiest way to get to the stadium seems to be by train. Why they made two stations equidistant from the stadium rather than one close to the stadium is beyond me.

Overall – Hong Kong 7’s at Kai Tak Stadium

The Venue is definitely an upgrade from the Hong Kong Stadium. Obviously teething issues are to be expected for the first time. Because of this we can’t be too critical. Despite the issues I am already looking forward to next year’s Hong Kong 7’s!

Thanks for reading and if you like sport, I highly recommend attending a Hong Kong Rugby 7’s.

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