WITH ITS CARNIVAL atmosphere and fast, tactical play, the Hong Kong Sevens has become Asian rugby's premier event. In recent years, the tournament has also motivated a number of players to jump into a different kind of scrum: the sportswear business.
Fans will see a lot of two companies, Kukri and Tsunami, at the event - both make sportswear and are sponsoring kit for teams in the three-day competition, which starts tonight.
Kukri is the larger and more established of the two. Its founder and commercial director, Phil Morris, was a regular on the Aberdeen team he co-founded and captained during the mid-1990s. And although Kukri is based in Preston, England, Morris got the idea to start the company when he was working in Hong Kong.
The Kukri logo will be particularly visible for the company is this year's official sports apparel sponsor. Both the Hong Kong and China sides will sport Kukri kit, and the symbol - the simplified Chinese character for 'long' resembling the letter K - is featured on all official Sevens clothing and paraphernalia.
'We're glad to be here because the Sevens is a beacon for Asian rugby,' Morris says. 'It's a chance for the Asian teams to play some of the best sides in the world. It's also a hell of a party.'
Morris says his experience as financial controller for the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) and in mainland merchandising convinced him there was a better way to produce sportswear. His approach has been to liaise closely with customers on the design of their kit. The strategy has helped win Kukri business in Britain from professional teams, companies and schools in several sports. Even so, Kukri is tiny compared with industry giants such as adidas or Nike. The contract to sponsor one of Asia's biggest events was a big boost, Morris says.
