Sevens fans were warned yesterday they may have to pay more for their tickets next year.
'There may be some pressure on us to raise the price of tickets,' Hong Kong Rugby Football Union chairman Trevor Gregory said.
But he ruled out having two Hong Kong Sevens in one year - as suggested by a reader in a letter to the South China Morning Post this week. 'No way,' Gregory said.
An adult ticket was priced at HK$880 this year. But with the huge demand - tickets were sold out in December - the HKRFU might be tempted to raise the price, possibly to HK$1,000 for next year's tournament.
'Our main revenue earners during the Sevens are the sale of tickets, the renting out of corporate boxes and the sale of merchandise. As far as the first two go, we are somewhat limited by the size of the Hong Kong Stadium,' Gregory said.
It is understood the cost of the 99 corporate boxes was up four-fold this year - between HK$100,000 and HK$400,000 depending on the size and number of seats. Figures are secret, but a conservative estimate on the sale of corporate boxes was around HK$30 million. Meanwhile, the sale of tickets for the general public as well as those for the local rugby community would have raked in at least another HK$30 million.