Sevens fever is well and truly in the air here in Hong Kong.  The daily and weekly publications are running Sevens almost daily and there seems to be a busier, noisier buzz of rugby tourists already on the streets.  One such publication that I read every Friday is a free one called BC  It’s Publisher/Editor-in-chief, Simon Durant, himself a veteran of 15 HK Sevens tournaments (16 next week) wrote a memorable editorial in yesterday’s edition.  I just have to share it with you (I hope you’re cool with this SD):

Rugby Sevens may have been born in Melrose, Scotland, and we sure thank the Scots for that.  But, and I may be more than a little biased, I think it’s fair to say that the spiritual home of modern Sevens is Hong Kong.  This is the tournament that everyone wants to play in and win.  The Hong Kong Rugby Union’s Tokkie Smith and Ian Gow conceived the idea, but the final ingredient remains us – the fans.  Together over the years we have fashioned a weekend of sporting fun unequalled across the globe.  Our enthusiasm ensured the tournament would flourish, and the IRB Sevens circuit grew from it’s success.  The recent first-ever combined Men’s and Women’s World Cup in Dubai bloomed from that, and now Sevens is in contention to be added as an Olympic sport.  Why am I effusively giving you this potted history?  Just to express my gratitute.  This year’s Sevens will be my sixteenth; I have had so many great experiences, met so many wonderful people from across the globe, that I just want to say thank you for memories past and memories to come.  Whether this is your first or thirty-third, I hope this year is as enjoyable for you as each of the past sixteen have been for me.

C’mon Hong Kong, Happy Sevens!

SD

Nuff said.  Bring it on!

Back in the days in the Republic, I had the fortune of experiencing several major sporting events from behind the scenes.  I had worked on several major events leading up to Cape Town’s unsuccessful 2004 Olympic Bid.  The World Cross Country Championships, World Fencing Championships as well as the Junior World Weightlifting Championships amongst many others, come to mind. 

However, I have to confess that during the 2008 Hong Kong Sevens, being  my very first experience on this side of the media-curtain (pardon the South African-ism media gordyn), I was particularly struck by the role of the captain of a team OFF the pitch. 

I attended a couple of media briefings where Springbok Cappie Neil Powell had had to face the press as well as the adoring public, in this case the expatriate South African community.  This Captain’s chore took place on several occasions:

Before a ball was even kicked, at the SA Association dinner…

At the Captains’ media briefing…

and immediately after games.

South Africa on this occasion didn’t win the Cup Championship, but I developed an increased admiration for all the captains of the teams that take part in the tournaments that make up the IRB’s Sevens World Series.

Hats off Boys.

Or as they say on the Cape Flats…

Saloot my Brasse!