Xinhua News Agency, Hong Kong, April 8 (Reporter Wang Zijiang, Wei Hua) The 2024 Hong Kong Sevens Tournament concluded at the Hong Kong Stadium on the evening of the 7th, and the three-day event attracted more than 100,000 fans to watch.
For World Rugby, Gilpin said that the match in Hong Kong was the "crown jewel of rugby sevens", as reflected in the number of ticket sales and the number of international fans.
"We saw an amazing weekend and Hong Kong is definitely coming back and the international fans are really coming back," he said. ”
Established in 1976, this year's tournament is of special significance as it is the 30th and final edition of the tournament to be held at the Hong Kong Stadium, which will be moved to the soon-to-be-completed Kai Tak Sports Park in Kowloon.
Equally excited about the success of the tournament, Hong Kong Rugby Union President Stephen Pu said: "It was a great weekend, the Hong Kong Sevens were sold out and it was a great pleasure to be able to attract so many overseas visitors back to Hong Kong once again. ”
Pu believes that the competition will have a brighter future when it moves to the Kai Tak Sports Park, which can accommodate more than 50,000 spectators. "Our goal is to create a bigger and better game of rugby sevens," he said. ”
According to the Hong Kong Rugby Union, overseas ticket sales for this year's tournament were particularly gratifying, accounting for more than 40% of the total ticket sales of the tournament, a significant increase from 23% in 2023 and 3% in 2022, proving that the historic event has been revitalized and that Hong Kong is an international metropolis that is extremely attractive to visitors from all over the world.
According to industry insiders, the popularity of the event has greatly benefited Hong Kong's economy. Despite the fact that the tournament coincided with the Ching Ming Festival holiday, with a large number of Hong Kong residents travelling to Shenzhen and other mainland cities for vacation, sales in Hong Kong's hotel and catering industry increased by 10 to 30 percent compared to usual, and the catering business around the stadium increased by 40 to 50 percent compared to normal days.