Now in its new home, the annual rugby showcase isn’t just about the action on the pitch. The food and drinks, the raucous atmosphere and the people are also what attracted fans to the stadium.
Brian Hopkins, who supports Great Britain, said the Sevens is the perfect occasion to celebrate his 40th birthday.
“There’s no better place to do it. It’s a great atmosphere, great rugby, great stadium as well,” he told RTHK. “We tried the food, we tried plenty of drinks… It’s going to be a keg of Guinness against my name.”
For Donna Hopkins, the stadium was friendly to wheelchair users.
“Down and around here, I could get to the food, the toilets were really accessible. I could see the pitch really well,” she said.
Brett Muntz, who grew up in Fiji and now lives in New Zealand, stuck to his roots and supports the Flying Fijians.
“It’s all about the people, connecting and enjoying a magnificent occasion and this magnificent venue,” he said. “Everyone seems to come for the right reason – have a good time, meet people, enjoy, and leave the results on the field and celebrate together.”
Epeli Buliciri, also a Fiji fan, was adding this year’s Hong Kong Sevens to his impressive resume.
“This is my 122nd tournament. It’s my 17th Hong Kong Sevens tournament,” he said.
“Hong Kong is always special for Fiji. Even sometimes when life gets down and all that, you can always rely on the Hong Kong Sevens and the Fiji team to get you back up there.”
His hat with a glistening pin collection was not the only one competing for attention at the stadium.
This trio appeared as characters from the Belgian comic “The Smurfs”.
“The dedication we’ve put in is really great, because we have to put paint on us. I think we have the best costume,” said one of them.
Others drew inspiration from Freddy, an animated weatherman on local TV.
The group said they planned for their costume one month or two ago, and chose one relating to rainy conditions.
