The good, the bad and the ugly: To mark three decades of the Sevens, we highlight 30 reasons why this annual festival of mud, madness and merriment is so special
I'm a robust 30-year-old, good-looking, and fun-loving with an eye for excitement and thrills. I excel in dishing out instant drama, and climactic finishes are guaranteed. Want partners who are willing to go all the way so as to enjoy a journey of a lifetime.
This is no lonely hearts advertisement.
We are talking Hong Kong Sevens, the tournament which has given the world a brand of rugby where players encounter the limits of their strength and endurance in a nerve-tingling atmosphere where the bounce of the ball can be the difference between winning and losing.
In the next few pages, we look back at moments that have defined the tournament which the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board, proudly calls its 'Jewel in the Crown'.
We look at the players who arrived as unknowns, became overnight sensations and eventually took their place among the legends of the game. Whether it is Eric Rush or Jonah Lomu, David Campese or the 'little master' Waisale Serevi; all of them drank from this intoxicating well and were transformed into superstars whose very names personify the Sevens.
We look at the great teams to have walked this stage in pomp and melodrama. They all came, from the guardians of the sevens, Fiji, the analytical New Zealanders, and the powerful English teams, who have made their own piece of Sevens history in the past couple of years.