It won't be all cakes and ale for Robert Knight this year. After 12 years of just enjoying the good life at the Hong Kong Sevens as a fan like any other, he will be rolling up his sleeves and getting down to work at this month's tournament.
The new executive director of the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) will be entertaining a dozen or more taipans and captains of industry in the HKRFU box on the Sunday afternoon of the Sevens.
The wining and dining could have a huge impact on the future of the game. Knight's aim is to increase the profile of rugby among these VIPs, some of whom may consider the sport as nothing more than a yearly bit of fun whose ultimate result is Causeway Bay and Wan Chai full of drunk fans.
'I have been speaking to a few businessmen recently who haven't been to the Sevens and think of it as something that goes on in isolation from the rest of the Hong Kong community,' Knight said. ' ... they are all quality people, so I'm hoping they will come along and become supporters of rugby.'
Knight, 55, who played for London Wasps between 1974 and 1977, took over the reins of the HKRFU on January 1. A former insurance industry executive - he was chairman of Aviva and before that chief executive of Standard Life - he hopes to put in place a long-term plan that ensures the future of the Sevens as well as rugby in general in Hong Kong.
'We are looking to invite between 12 and 15 top businessmen, to educate them on what the Sevens brings to the Hong Kong economy,' he said. 'We will provide them with statistics and facts. This will be a very specific session where they will see the Sevens and hopefully walk out as great supporters of rugby.