Fans soak up Sevens atmosphere, shrug off storms

Some 40,000 fans headed to the Hong Kong Sevens on Saturday, making the most of the rain and gloomy conditions to celebrate the final edition of the tournament before its move to the new Kai Tak Sports Park. With the Observatory issuing the Strong Monsoon Signal and the Thunderstorm Warning on Saturday, fans in the open ends of the Hong Kong Stadium could have been forgiven for taking an envious glance across the harbour at the all-covered arena taking shape in Kai Tak. However, people who spoke to RTHK said they weren't allowing occasional rain in Causeway Bay to dampen their mood. “[The weather] is nice and cool. It’s not too hot," said one visitor from New Zealand. "We have been coming since 2022. We’re excited because we heard that it’s sold out, so there’ll be a very good environment." Another group of fans dressed in religious outfits had a tongue-in-cheek solution to the storms - One of them, dressed as Jesus, joked that he would stop the storm. “The weather doesn’t bother me. It’s nice and cool. I’ll keep it from raining… [Me and my friends are expecting] beers and some rugby and some fun,” he told RTHK. Some visiting rugby fans from France said they expected the atmosphere to be better on Saturday, the event's traditional party day, than on Friday. “We expect more people… Saturday is a crazy day. I’ve been here for five years, and Saturdays are always the craziest ones,” one of the group said. A local couple said that they were bringing their children to the Sevens before the event moves to Kai Tak next year. “[It’s] nostalgic because it’s the last Sevens at the Hong Kong Stadium… We’re not big Hong Kong rugby fans. We’re just here to have fun and support,” they said. The last round of group matches in the men's and women's competition were taking place on Saturday morning before the knockout stages get under way later in the day. Hong Kong's men and women are both in action in the new Melrose Cup tournament at lunchtime.