Perhaps nothing catches the spirit of the Rugby Sevens as much as the South Stand at Hong Kong stadium. The South Stand is the only place where the general public can drink alcohol in their seats and is open to only those 18 and over. No surprise then that it was totally rowdy and filled with a wide variety of characters.
A famous tradition of the Rugby Sevens in Hong Kong involves fans donning costumes like it’s Halloween.
Seeing how I love aviation, I had a costume made in Manila inspired by the film Catch Me If You Can. Apparently the costume was so convincing that many people actually thought I was a real pilot!
The South Stand is where you’ll find the more interesting and colorful costumes, ranging from superheroes to more unique and provocative ones. Here are some of the highlights.
I still can’t pronounce soyizwap
Trump costumes seemed to be a popular choice. Surprisingly, there were quite a few American fans in the stands.
U-S-A
To see more people in costumes, click here for the full gallery.
Which day should you visit the Rugby Sevens?
Three-day tickets usually cost over $400 on 3rd party websites, so if you’re on a budget, it may be wise to just buy a one-day ticket.
Friday is by far the tamest of the three days of Rugby Sevens. You won’t see a lot of fans dressed up, since many residents have school or work during the daytime. However, tickets are substantially cheaper and the fans relatively well behaved. So if you want a glimpse of the Sevens experience without being soaked in beer, this would be the best time to visit.
There also is an opening ceremony, which includes a dragon dance and a parade of each country’s teams around the stadium, like in the Olympics.
Saturdays are notorious for being a drunken gathering of mammoth proportions as fans fill the South Stand as early as 8 in the morning and proceed to keep drinking throughout the day. This usually results in quite a few fans being belligerent by the time afternoon rolls around.
Cups filled with beer are randomly thrown into the air and the floor area is lined with a mixture of beer, water, and trash.
I personally found Saturday a bit too crowded as the stands are jam packed, with the revelers stumbling drunk in the afternoon, resulting in some interesting antics.
There is a possibility of having beer spilled all over you, so better make sure to wear something that you don’t mind being ruined.
Sunday morning is a bit calmer as the crowd is a mix of those who are on their last leg of drinking and locals who just want to soak in the atmosphere.
However, by mid-afternoon the crowd starts to come out of its hung over state and the party atmosphere once again livens up.
At this point, the rugby gets more exciting as the tournament goes into the elimination rounds, with the fans paying attention to the games. If I had to pick one day to go to the Sevens, I’d pick Sunday.
Whether you should buy a 3-day pass depends on what your personal preference is. If a non-stop party is what you’re after, spending three days at the Sevens should definitely be on your bucket list. If not, then I would probably recommend that you purchase a one day ticket.
