In 1975, what’s probably thought of as the world’s premier Rugby Sevens Tournament – the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens running March 27th – 29th – began (like all good things) with a chat in a pub!  Or if you prefer, pre-luncheon drinks at the venerable old Hong Kong Club.  Less than a year later, clubs from Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Japan, Sri Lanka, Fiji and Malaysia played out the first Hong Kong Sevens Tournament.

The event grew throughout the 70′s and 80′s and by the early 90′s, demand for tickets was greater than the capacity of the stadium, so it was re-built in 1994 as the 40,000-seat Hong Kong Stadium.  Sevens rugby is fast and furious but also plays an important role in developing good players. Jonah Lomu, Christian Cullen, George Gregan to name but a few first demonstrated their speed and agility in the Hong Kong Sevens, and the IRB, recognising the value of the game of Sevens, launched its inaugural World Sevens Series in 2000 to allow more players to benefit from Sevens competitions.
Some of the world’s top teams now participate in tournaments in Dubai, South Africa, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Asia but it’s the Hong Kong Sevens Tournament that is the IRB’s “Jewel in the Crown”.