South Stand roars back to life as Saturday ‘feels like a normal Hong Kong Sevens’
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Sevens Saturday was back in Hong Kong – and by all accounts, it felt just like the old days.
Crowds flocked to Hong Kong Stadium in far greater numbers than Friday evening’s opening day, with the South Stand, in particular, back to its roaring – and colourful – best.
“This is what I imagined the Hong Kong Sevens would be,” said Brent Douglas, 36, who moved to Hong Kong from Australia in 2019. “I’m glad to experience what my friends told me about. I’m quite excited to be here.”
There were costumes everywhere, and barely a face mask in sight, with restrictions seemingly less strictly imposed in the notoriously rowdy section of the venue.
“Everyone was complaining about having to wear masks, but they haven’t really enforced it in the South Stand,” said Emi Everaert, who has been coming to the Sevens since she was five years old, in 2001.
“I think we’re all stepping in the right direction to having a ‘no mask’ environment, and this is a tester to see if it works.”