What the Sevens means to Hong Kong

Who would have thought a little tournament started 40 years ago by a few rugby-mad expatriates would become the signature international event on Hong Kong’s sporting calendar? That the Hong Kong Sevens has become so and more is a testament to the game’s appeal, and its being in the right city at the right time. Just when Hong Kong was coming of age as an international finance centre, the Hong Kong Sevens presented the city with a perfect event to showcase what it has to offer – a modern, dynamic city full of hustle and bustle, and an international metropolis
ready to host a fantastic, fun-filled party throughout the three day extravaganza for visitors from all over the
world. The result? A sporting experience that is truly and uniquely Hong Kong.

The outcomes speak for themselves: The Hong Kong Sevens is indisputably the crown jewel of the Rugby Sevens World Series events; it’s the one that rugby fans and players alike talk about and mark on their calendars. And, due in large part to Hong Kong’s playing an instrumental role in popularizing the sport in non-rugby playing countries especially in Asia, Rugby Sevens will be an Olympic sport in 2016 in Brazil – an outcome nobody would have dreamed of 40 years ago.

While still perceived as sporting a event for expatriates, the effect of the Hong Kong Sevens on the city itself has been highly positive in terms of benefits to the local economy, Hong Kong’s brand-building, and enhancing its reputation as a world city and a preferred international destination – a place to be, if you will.
The economic case is easy to make: every year, thousands of visitors descend onto Hong Kong in the last week of March to attend the event. Most arrive in a mood to party, have fun, and spend money – on dining, drinking, sightseeing and shopping, in addition to their accommodation. Compared with the average tourist, Sevens attendees tend to stay quite a bit longer, many staying for a week or more. So it’s no surprise that hotels are booked solid for the Rugby Sevens week, especially those on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, and restaurants and bars are packed for the duration, especially in the evenings, dropping tens of millions of dollars into the Hong Kong economy.

Clearly, the benefits to Hong Kong reach further than that. For example, many international banks and corporations, especially those that are sponsors of the Hong Kong Sevens, hold their annual investor or customer conferences during Rugby Sevens week to ride on the popularity of the event. The ability to embed the Hong Kong Sevens into the calendars of Hong Kong’s corporate titans certainly energises the event and more importantly, helps re-inforce the image of Hong Kong as Asia’s most dynamic and glamorous international city.

As the Hong Kong Sevens looks towards the future, with a possible relocation to a bigger stadium to be built, it is worth remembering the positive effect the Hong Kong Sevens has had on Hong Kong and the continuing role it plays in Hong Kong’s brand and reputation.

誰又能想到四十年前一場由數個欖球運動員發起的小型比賽今日竟然成為香港體育日程上的國際盛事。比賽每年於香港舉行的時間地點又十分適宜，令香港七人欖球賽越來越受人關注。香港作為國際金融中心，使香港國際七人欖球賽更展現了香港—— 作為一個現代的、充滿活力，充滿喧囂的國際化都市，準備就緒迎接八方賓客，共襄盛舉這一場為期三天樂趣無窮的大派對。結果也成就了這一項真正代表香港獨特性的運動體驗。

結果不言自明：香港七人欖球賽是世界七人制欖球比賽系列活動上耀眼的明珠，是運動員及欖球賽球迷爭相討論的熱點，賽事更被標記在他們的日事行程上。而香港對這項運動的極力普及，在非打欖球的亞洲國家中特別具有推廣作用，七人制欖球賽將於2016年的巴西奧運會開始，正式成為奧運會比賽項目， 這在四十年前是無人可以想像的。

雖然仍然被視為外籍人士的體育盛事，香港國際七人欖球賽對這座都市的影響非常正面，無論在經濟、香港的品牌建設方面都增強其作為國際城市及旅遊勝地的口碑——如果你願意，這就是你應該到訪的地方。

欖球賽對經濟方面產生的影響顯而易見：每年，成千上萬的遊客於三月的最後一個星期到訪香港，參加這項體壇盛事。對於大部分人來說，他們是懷揣開派對的心情，消費金錢——享受美食、佳釀，購物觀光，以及旅遊住宿。相較與普通的遊客，欖球賽運動員往往會停留較長的時間，許多人會多逗留至少一個星期或更久。所以在七人欖球賽期間，香港的酒店特別是港島區及九龍區幾乎都是客滿的，餐館和酒吧特別是晚上聚滿了遊客和狂歡的本地人，為香港帶來幾千萬的美元收益。

很顯然，欖球賽對香港帶來的益處不止如此，例如，許多國際銀行和企業，尤其是那些香港國際七人欖球賽的贊助商，於比賽期間舉行年度投資者或客戶的會議，從而提升該項活動的知名度。香港國際七人欖球賽被標註在香港企業巨頭的日曆上，充分肯定了此項盛世的重要影響力，且彰顯了香港作為亞洲最具活力和迷人的國際城市的形象。

香港七人欖球賽的未來，也許比賽場館將搬遷至一個更大的新建體育場，香港國際七人欖球賽對香港的正面影
響，更彰顯了香港的國際聲譽。