- The city's most iconic tournament has been postponed for seven months because of the coronavirus outbreak, presenting both challenges and opportunities
- The tournament will now finish off the 2019-20 season and should feature both Hong Kong's men's and women's squads
When the dust finally settles on the coronavirus, hopefully we can take stock of what we did wrong " and right " in the hope of applying that to the next public health crisis that will surely follow.
In accepting World Rugby's offer to move the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens to October amid the crisis, the Hong Kong Rugby Union made the right decision. Pushing ahead as other major sporting events, such as the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, the World Indoor Athletic Championships and the Chinese F1 Grand Prix were either cancelled or postponed, was starting to look more like a lost cause each day.
Cynics will argue the HKRU should have pulled the plug earlier, but in salvaging a rescheduled event instead of a cancellation, a bullet has been dodged. Now, on the turn of a dime, fans of the city's most iconic tournament have been offered a rather tantalising alternative " a Hong Kong Sevens in October.
HKRU chief executive Robbie McRobbie is happy with this as a Plan B and why wouldn't he be? A sevens event in October and then one the following April in 2021 will present a boatload of logistical and planning challenges, but also a realm of possibilities.
"If we were going to be choosing another month to host the Hong Kong Sevens, it would be October," he said. "The weather is great, it's a really vibrant time of the year in Hong Kong."
Now set for October 16-18, the Sevens will find itself within a busy event schedule this autumn, if the virus cools down and Hong Kong's anti-government protests do not flare up. It may be a tall order and wishful thinking, but in the spirit of positivity, let's allow ourselves to dream. McRobbie said the idea is not to compete, but complement other events in the back half of the year.
'None of us have a crystal ball': HKRU relieved to avoid Sevens cancellation
The most promising thing for the HKRU is the two biggest draws of the autumn will both take place after the Sevens, meaning any event fatigue will not be an issue.
Hong Kong's Wine and Dine Festival should return to kick things off in late October, after 2019's event was cancelled because of the protests, and Clockenflap should return after being cancelled last year for the same reason. Originally scheduled for November 22-24, there is no indication yet it will not return for 2020.
BREAKING: The Hong Kong and Singapore rounds of the 2020 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series have been rescheduled owing to ongoing Coronavirus health concerns.All official tickets will be valid for the rescheduled events.More here: https://t.co/FNVOpM7fR3
" World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) February 13, 2020
Average annual temperatures in April and October are about the same, but it brings into play typhoons " Mangkhut and Hagibis wreaking havoc in October in the past two years.
But the best part of hosting the tournament in October has nothing to do with other events or weather. The Hong Kong Sevens will now close out the 2019-20 Sevens Series, which will be a party in and of itself after the final whistle.
There will also be new Olympic champions in October for both the men and the women, which will add another layer to the tournament. The Hong Kong men's team are about to book their place in the qualifying competition of the tournament (they sit second after the first leg of the Challenger Series in South America) and the women's team will get a chance to compete against the heavyweights on home soil.
Hong Kong must qualify for their own Sevens events via Challenger Series
"It's a great honour," said McRobbie about capping off the sevens season for the first time. "And we've wanted to have that position for a considerable time. It's always been very challenging because the series always normally ends in London or in Paris in June, which is not a time of the year when you would want to be playing in Hong Kong because of the heat. So what a unique opportunity."
McRobbie said he expects some extra interest because Hong Kong will return to its April slot the following year, making the 2020 edition feel like a "once-in-a-lifetime" event.
"For 45 years we've always been in that slot around March and April. For World Rugby, obviously moving tournaments around is a nightmare so I'm sure they will be happy to see us move back to the April slot in 2021."
McRobbie said the key is to make sure they host two different events, stating they have a few ideas on the burner and are already working with the Hong Kong Tourism Board and various key stakeholders and sponsors around making October a unique event.
Hong Kong's climate has been a volatile one since last summer, so planning for the worst and hoping for the best has become the new norm. A Hong Kong Sevens in October sounds like a pretty tantalising alternative, all things considered.
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