The relocation of Hong Kong’s rugby sevens tournament to Kai Tak Sports Park is helping to forge new traditions, as attendees accustomed to Wan Chai’s vibrant postgame scene are now exploring Kowloon’s culinary delights, opting for hotpot and Thai restaurants instead of the usual pub crawls.
Roxy Yuen Tsz-ting, 28, an event manager who bought three-day tickets and enjoyed the rugby tournament with her boyfriend, said the games moving from Hong Kong Stadium to Kai Tak Sports Park prompted them to have hotpot dinner in Kowloon City instead of revelling on Hong Kong Island.
“As much as I love the new stadium with air conditioning on, we are now in Kowloon where you need to go elsewhere after the game day for food and drinks. We are so used to getting everything at our finger tips in walking distance back in the days when we were on Hong Kong Island,” Yuen said.
“I don’t mind not being able to go to bars and pubs in Wan Chai. Though there are less options near the park, we are creating new traditions so that we can still have a good time enjoying hotpot and beers in a restaurant after the rugby matches. What a great way to celebrate Hong Kong,” she said, referring to a match that ended 31-7 to China.
Jackal Yeung Kwok-yung, 38, who works in marketing, opted to do something similar.
He headed off to a Thai restaurant in Kowloon City with his five friends after the first day wrapped up.
