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SCMP Reporter

THE festive all-night queue for tickets to the Rugby Sevens could be eliminated after organisers found they could not sell all the tickets on offer yesterday.

  Although fans had waited outside Victoria Park's centre court for as long as 33 hours, the queue had evaporated by 11.10 am and the ticket booths closed at noon with 272 adult and about 100 child tickets unsold. A total of 8,000 adult and 950 child tickets were up for grabs.

  Last year, ''hundreds, if not a thousand'' who waited for some of 7,500 adult tickets for the March tournament went home empty-handed, said Mr Stuart Leckie, chairman of the Hongkong Rugby Football Union.

   After yesterday, the Sevens organising committee may consider selling tickets through mail order, Mr Leckie said.

  The committee may also re-evaluate the limit of two adult and two child tickets per person, he said.

  Mr Leckie speculated that predictions of long lines may have scared off some fans.

  Earlier speculation that control might be imposed on selling beer at the Hongkong Stadium during the March 27-28 event might also have dampened interest, observers said.

  But Mr David Roberts, chief executive officer of the union, revealed that the caterer for the event was in the process of applying for a licence to serve alcohol at the event.

  ''We've got no reason to believe the licence won't be granted,'' Mr Roberts said.

  Mr James Soutar, who lined up with six friends from 11 pm, said of the unsold tickets: ''That makes us all feel foolish.

  ''You went through all that, sat out there and got cold, and find out you didn't need to.''   Stragglers continued to show up until noon. Some had heard the radio announcements and others decided to take a chance that tickets would still be available.

  Mr Phillip Davidson arrived at 11 am and waited with his wife for just 10 minutes for tickets. Because there was no line, they were able to get a total of six adult and two children's tickets.

  Last year, he stood in the queue for 10 hours.

  Referring to the die-hards who waited all night, Mr Davidson said, ''I think they went for the party.''   At 7.30 am yesterday, half-an-hour before tickets went on sale, a queue of about 3,000 wound around Victoria Park.

  Some wore ''Official Queuer 4 the 7s'' buttons.

  Mr William Judge, a second lieutenant with the Gurkhas, enjoyed a comfortable, seven-hour sleep in the queue.

  Domestic helpers Marietta and Mariquita said they were offered $300 apiece to get two pairs of tickets for a British couple.

  ''I'm very sleepy and cold,'' said Mariquita. She said she would only go through the ordeal again for $500.



Rugby Sevens fans' ticket frenzy fizzles