It's all sold out. The 'House Full' sign at the 2002 Credit Suisse First Boston Hong Kong Sevens has gone up. The final batch of tickets were sold on Tuesday night with HSBC banker Tony Botting grabbing the last two.
'I have been going to the Hong Kong Sevens for the past three years. I guess I'm lucky not to miss out this year,' a relieved Botting said. Many others were not quite so fortunate according to the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union. 'Lots of people were caught out. Last year we sold out on the Thursday. This time it was two days earlier. The Hong Kong Sevens is back on track,' tournament co-ordinator Beth Coalter said. For three years after the handover, organisers struggled to sell the allotment of 38,000 tickets for the public mainly due to the economic downturn.
'We are very relieved that despite all the problems, the Hong Kong Sevens is a sell-out again. A full stadium gives an extra ambience. But at the same time, we are disappointed that we cannot accommodate everyone,' Allan Payne, HKRFU executive director said.
Organisers warned that people caught touting tickets would be prosecuted. 'The police will be on the lookout for touts,' Coalter said.
The consolation for those without tickets this weekend is that Cable TV will once again televise live action on all three days, starting from 5pm, tomorrow.