Hong Kong Sevens could be ‘catalyst’ for return of other sporting events to city, says rugby boss McRobbie
- Hong Kong Rugby Union boss says governing body’s approach can pave the way for others to host their own major competitions
- Officials from snooker, badminton and golf are all working on holding events over the next six months
The return of the Hong Kong Sevens could pave the way for a host of other sporting events to take place later this year, rugby boss Robbie McRobbie said, after getting government approval to stage the landmark tournament.
On Saturday, the government gave the go ahead for the Sevens to take place for the first time since 2019, although there will be some restrictions depending on the Covid-19 situation in the city in November.
A closed loop for players and local workers is expected to be in effect, but the time spent in quarantine for residents could be reduced from seven to four days soon.
Snooker event eyes October date. Will it set precedent for Hong Kong Sevens?
Officials from the city’s snooker, badminton, triathlon and golf organisations have all been waiting in the wings to see whether the Sevens would go ahead, with all four working on holding competitions over the next six months.
Earlier this week, badminton bosses said they were planning a partial closed loop for players and staff members as part of their proposals to host a World Tour event in November.
And snooker bosses have suggested something similar for an invitational tournament they want to hold a month earlier, with the Hong Kong Masters already part of the World Tour calendar.
Triathlon, meanwhile, has an Asia Cup stop pencilled in for October 15. In golf, the Asian Tour has plans to bring its International Series to Hong Kong in January, while Oxfam and Standard Chartered are preparing for the Trailwalker and marathon respectively.
While McRobbie, the Hong Kong Rugby Union CEO, does not expect Covid-19 restrictions to disappear entirely, he said he believed approval for the Sevens could be a “real catalyst” for change in the city’s outlook.
“We’re not expecting everything to be miraculously solved come the first week in November, but I think this could be a real watershed moment,” he said.
“I think the message that this will send is important. Hopefully, together with the international business leaders’ forum and the fintech conference, and all the other good stuff that is in the works for November, I think the message to the international community is that Hong Kong is very much open for business.”
With just three months to organise the Sevens, which are expected to take place between November 4 and 6, McRobbie expects his staff to face a lot of hard work, and said they would be sitting down with government officials to thrash out “how this all works”.
I do think that the work that we do is going to have hopefully a benefit across the sports and events sector
What the Sevens ultimately looks like will have a bearing on the other sports, and the union boss said he and his counterparts had already been discussing the implications of what was decided.
“The [Hong Kong] sports community generally, we are talking to each other, and sharing information, so on the back of this and what we’ll be doing over the coming weeks – hopefully that will then provide a blueprint or template for our friends at tennis, golf, snooker and badminton,” he said.
“Already the Hong Kong Jockey Club with their experience from the International Races, they have been absolutely fantastic in sharing their experience and knowledge, and we will definitely be returning to the well from that point to continue to tap into their knowledge.
“I do think that the work that we do is going to have hopefully a benefit across the sports and events sector. It’s not stuff we’ll keep to ourselves, where we get to will help others who are endeavouring to bring back their own events in the coming months.”
