Hong Kong Sevens cancelled: HKRU chief Robbie McRobbie defiant – ‘we will survive’

World Rugby postponed the Sevens earlier this year to October, now the rest of the 2020 World Rugby Sevens Series has been axed

HKRU chief executive officer Robbie McRobbie says the contingency plans they put in place earlier this year will help them weather another financial storm

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The 2020 Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens hasve been cancelled. Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 5:16pm, 30 Jun 2020Updated: 10:07pm, 30 Jun 2020

Hong Kong Rugby Union chief executive officer Robbie McRobbie said he fully understands why World Rugby was forced to axe the rest of the World Rugby Sevens Series, which includes the 2020 Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens that was to take place in October.

“Twenty eight teams from 17 countries on six continents, the statistics speak for themselves in the current environment,” McRobbie said.

World Rugby cancelled the remaining five tournaments of the season – Langford, London, Paris, Singapore and Hong Kong – and awarded New Zealand both the men’s and women’s titles on current standings.

McRobbie said the financial hit of an outright cancelled Hong Kong Sevens is something they are much more prepared for this time. The Sevens was originally scheduled for early April, but was pushed back by World Rugby in February.

HKRU chief executive officer Robbie McRobbie says the organisation will survive the cancellation. Photo: Roy Issa

“What we have been able to do over the last few months, as one would expect from a responsible organisation, is we have had the opportunity to plan every contingency, including this scenario. And I feel that we have planned and budgeted in a sensible manner.”

In May, the HKRU laid-off 12 staff out of 116 full-time employees, despite announcing a revenue increase to HK$250 million in 2019, according to its annual report. This was up from HK$235 million in 2018, but McRobbie said: “Whilst revenue peaked in 2019, the union still recorded a loss, and the revenue projection since then has been revised downwards significantly, and at a faster rate than we have been able to cut costs.”