The first Hong Kong Sevens took place in front of a few thousand curious spectators, and some of the players wore gym shoes in the mud instead of rugby boots.
Fast forward 50 years and the event has grown into a sold-out three-day festival of global repute, mixing sport with socialising, schmoozing and big business.
kAm%96 CF?2H2J DF446DD @7 E96 w@?8 z@?8 $6G6?D A=2J65 2 <6J A2CE :? CF83J C6EFC?:?8 E@ E96 ~=J>A:4D 2E #:@ a_`e 27E6C 2 ha\J62C 23D6?46]k^Am
kAmuC2?46VD E9C:==:?8 >6?VD D6G6?D 8@=5[ :?DA:C65 3J 9@>6 96C@ p?E@:?6 sFA@?E[ H2D @?6 @7 E96 DE2?5@FE >@>6?ED @7 E96 !2C:D v2>6D EH@ J62CD 28@]k^Am
kAm%96 w@?8 z@?8 6IEC2G282?K2 \\ H96C6 =686?5D DF49 2D y@?29 {@>F 2?5 s2G:5 r2>A6D6 A=2J65 :? E96 A2DE \\ 2=D@ 925 2 46?EC2= C@=6 :? 56G6=@A:?8 E96 CF83J 24C@DD pD:2]k^Am
kAm$A62<:?8 E@ pu! @? uC:52J 2D w@?8 z@?8VD 3:886DE A2CEJ <:4<65 @77[ (@C=5 #F83J 492:C qC6EE #@3:?D@? D2:5 E96C6 H2D ?@E9:?8 BF:E6 =:<6 :E]k^Am
kAmQxEVD E96 A:??24=6[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQu:CDE=J[ :EVD D@CE @7 @?6 @7 E96 A:??24=6 6G6?ED :? 8=@32= DA@CED[ =6E 2=@?6 CF83J]k^Am
kAmQxEVD E96 ;6H6= :? E96 4C@H? @7 @FC $6G6?D D6C:6D]Qk^Am
k9am\ V#62==J DA64:2=V \k^9am
kAm!24<65 4C@H5D H:E9 >2?J 7=J:?8 :? 7C@> @G6CD62D 7@C E96 H66<6?5 2C6 2 72C 4CJ 7C@> H96? 2Â 8C@FA @7 4=F3 6?E9FD:2DED =2F?4965 E96 6G6?E :? `hfe]k^Am
kAm}@H E96C6 2C6 >6?VD 2?5 H@>6?VD D:56D 7C@> 2== @G6C E96 8=@36[ 3FE E96? :E H2D >@DE=J E62>D 7C@> pD:2 2?5 E96 !24:7:4 :? 2 @?6\52J >6?VD E@FC?2>6?E]k^Am
kAmQxE DE2CE65 2D 2 3:E @7 2 ;@==J[Q 7@C>6C w@?8 z@?8 #F83J u@@E32== &?:@? AC6D:56?E qC:2? $E6G6?D@?[ H9@ H2D :?G@=G65 2E E96 DE2CE[ @?46 C67=64E65]k^Am
kAmp 76H @7 E96 w@?8 z@?8 A=2J6CD 5:5 ?@E 6G6? 92G6 E96 AC@A6C 7@@EH62C[ 2?5 @?6 @7 E96> H2D 2 A@=:46>2?]k^Am
kAmp b[___ 4C@H5 A24<65 w@?8 z@?8 u@@E32== r=F3 E@ D66 }6H +62=2?5VD r2?E23C:2?D H:? E96 7:CDE w@?8 z@?8 $6G6?D]k^Am
kAmQxE H2D 2 <2=6:5@D4@A6 @7 4@=@FC[ 7F== @7 E96 A246 2?5 8C246[ E9C:==D 2?5 DA:==D 2?5 E96 8=@C:@FD F?46CE2:?EJ E92E >2<6 D6G6?\2\D:56 CF83J 2C8F23=J E96 72DE6DE 2?5 36DE 32== 82>6 :? DA@CE[Q =@42= ?6HDA2A6C E96 $@FE9 r9:?2 |@C?:?8 !@DE AFCC65 :? :ED C6A@CE 2E E96 E:>6]k^Am
kAm%96 D665 H2D D@H?[ 2?5 E96 E@FC?2>6?E 8C6H 2D 2 4@>>6C4:2= 2?5 DA@CE:?8 DF446DD :? E2?56> H:E9 w@?8 z@?8VD 56G6=@A>6?E 2D 2 8=@32= 7:?2?4:2= 46?EC6]k^Am
kAm%96 c_[___\42A24:EJ w@?8 z@?8 $E25:F> 3642>6 E96 E@FC?2>6?EVD 9@>6[ H:E9 E96 $@FE9 $E2?5 :? A2CE:4F=2C AC@G:5:?8 2 C2F4@FD 324<5C@A @7 H6==\@:=65 A2CEJ\8@6CD 564<65 @FE :? @FEC286@FD 72?4J 5C6DD]k^Am
kAmp7E6C E96 r@G:5 A2?56>:4 AFE 2 E6>A@C2CJ DA@:=6C @? E9:?8D[ E96 E@FC?2>6?E =2DE J62C >@G65 E@ E96 ?6H Sb]gd 3:==:@? z2: %2< DE25:F>]k^Am
kAm%96 d_[___\D62E 2C6?2[ H9:49 3@2DED 2 7FEFC:DE:4 AFCA=:D9 724256 2?5 C6EC24E23=6 C@@7[ :D AFCA@D6\3F:=E 7@C CF83J D6G6?D H:E9 ac D6A2C2E6 492?8:?8 C@@>D]k^Am
kAmxE :D @? E96 D:E6 @7 E96 @=5 z2: %2< 2:CA@CE[ 72>65 7@C :ED 92:C\C2:D:?8 2AAC@249 @G6C E96 E@A @7 ?62C3J 9@FD:?8 6DE2E6D]k^Am
kAm#@3:?D@? D2:5 E92E H96? CF83J H2D 2AA=J:?8 E@ 364@>6 2? ~=J>A:4 DA@CE 282:?[ 56=682E:@?D H6C6 D9@H? w@?8 z@?8 E@ 96=A DE2<6 :ED 42D6 7@C :?4=FD:@?]k^Am
kAmQxEVD ;FDE C62==J DA64:2= :? E6C>D @7 E96 D42=6 @7 :E[ E96 2EE6?52?46 C2E6D[ E96 >@>6?EF> 2?5 E96 9:DE@CJ @7 E96 E@FC?2>6?E[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmADE^7@Ik^Am
