‘Prestige and history’ put Hong Kong Sevens on pedestal, says Ireland icon Brian O’Driscoll
- A 15s Test debut for Ireland in 1999 prevented Brian O’Driscoll from playing at the Hong Kong Sevens
- Former British & Irish Lion in city for tournament, and notes return of ‘international energy’
Ireland icon Brian O’Driscoll said the “prestige” of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens elevated the tournament above its counterparts on the world series circuit.
O’Driscoll, who sensed a return of the event’s “international energy”, when he travelled to Hong Kong on Thursday, won a 141 Test caps, eight of them for the British & Irish Lions.
His Ireland debut, in Australia in 1999, which O’Driscoll said “came before my time”, scuppered the centre’s proposed involvement in that year’s Hong Kong Sevens.
“In those days, once you were capped, you never went back to sevens,” he said.
The shorter code has grown in popularity and professionalism since the, and 10 years after retiring, O’Driscoll circles the globe for world series events, in his role as a Global Brand Ambassador for sponsors HSBC.
According to the 45-year-old, the Hong Kong leg remains top of the tree.
“There is an electricity in the city, which is very unusual,” O’Driscoll told the Post. “Hong Kong is its own entity, in terms of its energy. I have visited a couple of times in a non-rugby context, and it still feels there is something special about the place.
“Sevens weekend is supercharged, with people travelling from around the world, reunions happening, and businesses visiting.
“It is the flagship event, the one all the teams really want to win. The Olympics supersedes it this year, but in the other three years, Hong Kong is the one where teams want to really deliver, because of the history and the prestige around the event, compared to the others.
“Any win on the HSBC SVNS Series is great, but the reality is that this feels like the big one.”
O’Driscoll was opposite a rocking Hong Kong Stadium when the hosts’ teams beat China on Friday, and said the “support and passion for Hong Kong is on another level”.
“Only Fiji command similar interest, but Hong Kong are on their own [for intensity of support] when they play at home,” he said.
Hong Kong’s teams are competing in the three-team Melrose Claymore tournaments, besides the 12-nation world series events. Both local sides gained wild card entries into the main competition last year, and O’Driscoll is torn over which is the better move.
He said: “It is a chicken and egg situation, Hong Kong have more chance of victories [in second-rung competition], which generates a euphoric atmosphere, but you learn more from playing teams that are better than you.
“The players would probably prefer to be in the bigger tournament, but from a fans’ point of view, seeing their team winning and scoring tries elevates the atmosphere.”
