Hong Kong Sevens to postpone for the fifth time to November 2022

Hong Kong Sevens will be postponed until November 2022 due to the uncertainty over when the Hong Kong borders will reopen, Hong Kong Rugby Union said on Tuesday. The international sporting event has been postponed for the fifth time since the pandemic emerged last year. The Hong Kong Rugby Union CEO Robbie McRobbie said due to the potential disruption, the union has decided to switch the event from April to November next year, which will be "in the best interests of the tournament, the teams and fans."

“The Hong Kong Rugby Union has been consistent in our message that we can deliver the Sevens without jeopardising the success of community health efforts which we support, but this requires a confidence that all participating teams can be allowed to travel and the ability to host the event to our own high standard, which we cannot guarantee. Given this remains impossible to predict for April, our only remedy is to postpone to remove any uncertainty for teams, fans, and our operations financially,” said McRobbie. 

Hong Kong Sevens said in a statement that this will be the longest postponement to date, at a full 12 months, and the hope remains that the interim period will see continued growth in vaccination rates locally and abroad, and the opening of Hong Kong’s border with China and internationally to allow the Hong Kong Sevens to mark its 45th staging without disruption and with a full complement of teams.

It is expected that the event will take place from 4 to 6 November 2022. McRobbie said the main problems of launching the event are travel and quarantine. However, according to the South China Morning Post, the Hong Kong Rugby Union warned that elite sporting events could disappear from the calendar if they are unable to be staged in the city. On the other hand, McRobbie said Hong Kong has little danger of losing its place on the world series calendar. 

“We understand that fans at home and abroad will be disappointed, but we appeal to their continued patience and support,” said McRobbie. The SCMP also reported that previous postponements had forced the Hong Kong Rugby Union to exhaust its financial reserves. The union had accumulated pandemic-related loss of HK$200 million to date, and reduced headcount by more than 40%, including closing its professional players programme. Looking ahead, the Hong Kong Rugby Union said it will further cut costs.

Speaking of its sponsor Cathay Pacific and HSBC, McRobbie said he is confident that World Rugby supports the Hong Kong Rugby Union and they will work with the union to support Hong Kong Sevens. A Cathay Pacific spokesperson said, "We have committed our sponsorship agreement with Hong Kong Rugby Union since 2019 to 2023. It’s been challenging for travel and many other industries in Hong Kong for the past two years. Having said that, this has never stopped us from rendering our maximum support to our local athletes and to sports activities in our city if possible. We will continue to work closely with the Hong Kong Rugby Union in bringing back the spectacular Hong Kong Sevens to the city next year."

Meanwhile, Singapore is scheduled to be the seventh stop in the world series on April 9 and 10. This season starts with two legs taking place in Dubai, beginning on 26 November. 

(Photo courtesy: Hong Kong Sevens) 

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