Hong Kong Sevens postponed until November 2022 because of city’s approach to tackling Covid-19, says rugby boss
- HKRU chief Robbie McRobbie says decision to delay tournament for fifth time was taken in best interests of ‘the teams and fans’
- Union warns that loss of revenue means they will have to look to cut costs across the organisation and community
Uncertainty over when the borders will reopen led to the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens being postponed for a fifth time since the coronavirus pandemic emerged in 2020, the head of the city’s rugby union said on Tuesday.
Given the potential disruption should that not happen in time, the decision to switch the event from April to November next year was made in “the best interests of the tournament, the teams and fans”, Robbie McRobbie, the HKRU CEO, said.
There will be consequences, however, with the union now likely to have to make some more difficult financial decisions.
Previous postponements have already forced it to exhaust its financial reserves after an accumulated pandemic-related loss to date of HK$200 million, and reduce headcount by more than 40 per cent, including closing its professional players programme.
And in a message to local clubs, McRobbie warned the cancellation meant a “third year of no Sevens revenue, and we now have no option but to look at further cost cutting that will have implications across the organisation and the community”.
Ultimately the uncertainty over travel and quarantine meant the event could not take place. And while other countries and cities have begun to gradually reopen after Covid-19 forced a global lockdown, Hong Kong has continued to impose some of the strictest mandatory isolation rules in the world.