Seventh Sevens

Yep, that's right... Last weekend, as Hong Kong put on its notorious Rugby Sevens tournament, I realized that this year marked my seventh annual participation in the sensational event. Back in 2011, twenty-four year old Paul made his way into the stadium too late on Saturday morning to gain entry to the already-full South Stand. In 2012, dressed as a penguin, he showed up bright and early... and got in! And it's been a full-proof plan ever since.

My first Sevens in 2011!

I know I've written a post about the Sevens for several years, so I probably wind up repeating myself. But the weekend itself—Friday, Saturday and Sunday—is only a part of the fun. With an estimated ten thousand overseas visitors pouring into Hong Kong for the event, the whole week leading up to it is memorable as well. 

In fact, the Hong Kong Jockey Club moves the Wednesday night races, normally held in Happy Valley, to Sha Tin during Sevens week. I'm convinced it's because they want to avoid any raucous rugby fans wreaking havoc in the centrally-located racetrack. 

Thursday evening, the eve of the kickoff, I went for dinner with my friend Marouen, who lives in Singapore but never fails to venture up to the SAR for Sevens weekend. We later linked up with our friend Lou and Kathy, grabbing drinks in Wan Chai and Lan Kwai Fong, as the night wore on.

Al's Diner on Thursday night

Of course, it was tough to focus on work on Friday, and I left the office a little earlier than I should have, to meet up with a colleague at Staunton's in SoHo. 

A few months ago, one of my favorite SoHo restaurants closed down, Yorkshire Pudding. In my humble opinion, it served both Hong Kong's best bloody mary and eggs benedict, so it was more than a disappointment when I learned it was shutting its doors for the last time. Adding insult to injury, it was replaced with a Burger King, which I promised myself I would never patron. 

However, as we drank our beers at Staunton's, alongside the Escalator, some girls emerged from the neighboring Burger King to pass out flyers advertising Carlsbergs for HKD 10. Incredulously I ventured inside and inquired if one had to also purchase food in order to enjoy the ridiculous beer deal. "Nope, it's just HKD 10 for a Carlsberg," I was told.

"I'll take three please," I said, forking over thirty bucks. So I guess I broke my vow of never buying something from the place. Still, the deal only lasted as long as the weekend, and I never went so far as to purchase any food. So I'm O.K. with it. 

Sevens always comes around quickly, but it really sneaked up on us this year. Although I racked my brain trying to come up with a clever, topical costume, I just ran out of time. On Saturday morning, I grabbed a cheap clown wig and sequin jacket from the "costume closet" in my flat and hoped nobody would ask what I was supposed to be. 

Courtney and I made our way to the South Stand, which was already nearing capacity when we entered just before 8:30am! And the day, as is its custom, just dissipated. I bumped into so many friends who I hadn't seen in such a long while, and it was so great to catch up. Of course, it's all kind of a blur, but a very delightful one.

On Sunday, I met my friends Pierre and Eddy at Hong Kong Stadium, where we opted for seats in the Upper West Stands, so we could actually appreciate some of the sportsmanship on display. It was great to watch some first-class matches, including a dramatic semi-final face-off between the USA and South Africa. It was probably the single best Rugby Sevens game I've ever watched, but sadly South Africa just edged out our boys in extra time.

By the time South Africa and Fiji squared off against each other in the final, I was engrossed. And Fiji tore it apart, shutting out the competition and taking the top prize, as expected. The impressive fireworks shooting from overhead afterwards, and the lights blazing all over the stadium, it was clear once again why this is such a special weekend to all of us in Hong Kong. 

Cheers to you, Rugby Sevens. I promise I'll get a better costume for next year. I'm brainstorming my ideas already!