Rowdy out-of-towners, crazy costumes, packed streets in Causeway Bay, inflatable sports equipment dangling from road signs - yes, the Hong Kong Sevens are here again. If you're not sure why two seven-man teams of hulking rugby players would want to race around a field in front of 40,000 screaming fans, check out our Bluffer's Guide.
The game
According to legend, the game was created in 1823 at Rugby School in Britain during a football match, when a student, William Webb Ellis, picked up the ball and ran with it.
As well as carrying it, you can kick or pass the ball, but you can never pass the ball forwards.
There are two main types of rugby - union, with 15 players per team, and league, with 13. Sevens teams use only seven players, but play on the same-sized pitch.
Oval has been the compulsory shape for rugby balls since 1892. They were oncemade from pigs bladders covered in leather. The shape makes it easier to catch and hold when running.
