「國泰/滙豐香港國際七人欖球賽2024」 熱情球迷見證中國香港男、女子隊獲首勝 衛冕冠軍新西蘭2:0完美開局
Fans welcome 30 years of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens at the Hong Kong Stadium
[香港，2024年4月5日]：周五，「國泰/滙豐香港國際七人欖球賽2024」在標誌性的香港大球場拉開帷幕，全世界球迷都投入參與這場盛事。球迷們從世界各地遠渡而來，，一同見證賽事於大球場舉行30周年的歷史時刻，40,000張門票被搶購一空。
在賽場上，衛冕冠軍新西蘭隊在「國泰/滙豐香港國際七人欖球賽2024」以2:0完美開局，分別以12:7勝英國、22:0大勝阿根廷，更令球迷雀躍的是兩支中國香港男、女子隊在新增設的「Melrose銀劍賽」中，在全場球迷的打氣聲中分別戰勝中國隊。
前澳洲國家隊隊長Michael Hooper 周五首次亮相香港國際七人欖球賽，他將努力為澳洲隊爭取今年7月在巴黎奧運會的金牌而奮鬥。
香港大球場正是播下七人欖球賽入奧運種籽的地方，老將們一定不會忘記這一個賽站。
Michael Hooper表示：「我很喜歡大球場的氛圍，我聽說今日只是第一日，未來兩天的氣氛會越來越熾熱。」今日澳洲隊在A 組以12:0「零封」欖球強隊斐濟。
香港國際七人欖球賽怎少得娛樂節目，出場的包括本地「小巨肺」譚芷昀（Celine Tam）、嶄露頭角的新晉女團組合Lolly Talk 及前英格蘭國腳和愛爾蘭雄獅隊球星James Haskell ，他退役後成為DJ ，今日重返香港大球場，登上表演舞台，為超過30,000位入場觀眾獻上最熱鬧的開幕禮，為大球場助興。
斐濟素有一班忠實粉絲，戴著著名的藍色假髪，長駐北看台為愛隊打氣，Mere Sowakula 作為斐濟島民隊著名的「藍色威格斯」（Blue Wiggers）球迷隊伍的一員，第三次隨隊來到香港，為每個精彩時刻，熱烈歡呼。
Mere Sowakula說：「每一年我都期待前來香港參加這個比賽，這裡是七人欖球的歡樂泉源、精神所在，匯聚世界各地的朋友，我有兩個朋友來自英國，我們都是來支持斐濟及女子七人欖球。」
今年，總數4萬張門票已售罄，海外佔今屆總銷量超過四成，其中以澳洲的旅客為數不少，這反映出香港的大型賽事正在反彈。
來自悉尼的澳洲球迷Michael Thomas表示：「我們在疫情期間甚至去年都錯過了香港國際七人欖球賽，但今年是香港大球場最後一年辦七欖，一定不能錯過。」Michael 在賽前一星期已跟三位朋友來香港，除觀看欖球賽外，亦在市內消費。
「這裡載滿七欖的歷史，有無數個偉大的七欖球員都在這球場參加過比賽，我們作為球迷亦在香港有著很多美好的時光，能再次來到香港實在太好了。」
「國泰/滙豐香港國際七人欖球賽 2024」很高興成為一項「M」品牌認可活動，協助提升香港作為亞洲體育盛事之都的形象。獲大型體育活動事務委員會頒發的「M」品牌，標誌著緊張、精彩、刺激的大型體育活動。
資料及相片 : Elite Step Asia Limited / Hong Kong China Rugby
[Hong Kong, 5 April 2024]: The city - and the world - came to the party on Friday as the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens kicked off its 30th edition at the iconic Hong Kong Stadium.
Befitting the occasion - and the venue - fans were greeting with the news that the event was a sellout, with the last of the 40,000 tickets available being snapped by visitors who have arrived in Hong Kong from the far reaches of the globe to celebrate this historic occasion and the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens’ rich history.
Out on the field of play, defending Hong Kong Sevens champions New Zealand got their title defences off to perfect 2-0 starts in the HSBC SVNS tournaments, while victories for the two Hong Kong, China teams over China kicked off the new Melrose Claymores tournaments - and raised the roof - late on day one.
Former Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper made his Hong Kong Sevens debut Friday as he tries to play his way into contention for the Australian squad going for gold at the Paris Olympics in July.
The Hong Kong Stadium was where the seeds of Olympics sevens rugby were planted and the moment wasn’t lost on the veteran.
“[The experience] was completely unique and I'm loving that atmosphere. I hear it's only going up from here,” said Hooper, who came on late as Australia started their Pool A campaign with a 12-0 win over Fiji,” said Hooper.
By the time local singing sensation Celine Tam, rising all-female Cantopop stars Lolly Talk and former England international and British & Irish Lions star-turned DJ James Haskell took to the stage, the sun had set and the stands were filling to near capacity with over 30,000 spectators in the house on Friday evening.
Fijian Mere Sowakula is making her third trip as part of the Islanders’ famed “Blue Wiggers” fans posse - and they were cheering on every moment of action.
“I always look forward to this one,” she said. “This is where the spirit, the joy, the fire of sevens is. It’s a meeting point for friends from all over the world. I have two friends here from the UK and we all came here to support Fiji and to support women’s rugby.”
There’s also a healthy Aussie contingent among the international visitors who are making up more than 40 per cent of the fans this year, a reflection of how Hong Kong’s mega events are bouncing back.
“We missed coming during the pandemic and even last year but we had to make it to the last one at this stadium, said Sydney’s Michael Thomas, who’s in Hong Kong for a week with three mates, taking in the Sevens and taking in town.
“There’s history here, isn’t there. So many great players have played and we’ve had so many good times. It’s just great to be back in Hong Kong.”
The Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens is proud of being an “M” Mark event that helps enhance the image of Hong Kong as Asia’s sports event capital. The “M” Mark awarded by the Major Sports Events Committee, symbolising intense, spectacular and signature event in the territory sports calendar.
Information and photo source : Elite Step Asia Limited / Hong Kong China Rugby
