Play

Every year, people come together from all over the world to celebrate and participate in the Hong Kong sevens. The Hong Kong sevens is a weekend of fast paced rugby action that consists of teams from twenty four countries; kenya, namibia, pacific island countries, america, ireland, france, australia and new zealand to name a few. We all meet in Hong Kong, usually on a thursday, and travel by ferry to macau island, a portugese enclave, for dinner at fernando's restaurant on the thursday night. This in itself is a highlight of the trip as the food and atmosphere is unique - I can smell the bread and smoked ribs as I write this! Friday is catching up with all our friends who live and work in different countries such as scotland, dubai, and taiwan. We do some shopping and then a pub circuit, and meet all sorts of characters from around the world who are there for the same reason. The first games start on friday night - normally the women's finals, this gives us an appetite for the main competition that starts the next morning. From there it is another world - the hong kong stadiumcomes alive with costumes, the supporters, the food and atmosphere - it is second to none. Before you know it the final has arrived on sunday, and the grand finale is a spectacle to behold. It doesn't even

matter who won, everyone is just happy to be a part of it. After the rugby is over and everyone goes their separate ways again until the next year, there is the opportunity to travel to a stopover on the way back home. For us, it was to Phuket in Thailand. We wanted to go there to see how locals were coping after the tsunami, and basically to spend some tourist dollars, rather than donate to a fundraising appeal. This was the best thing that anyone could have done as alll the country needs right now is to get back on their feet, and the best way for them to do this is to have people eating at their restaurants, drinking at their beach bars, buying their beautiful silk sarongs and souvenirs, and having tourists like us smiling and talking to them. It really makes a difference! I even got a tattoo - on the beach! It was a most relaxing and romantic unwind after the frantic rugby weekend, and we felt very privileged to be there. This whole holiday took less than 10 days, however it has formed a lasting impression, and something that we will continue to enjoy each year. Who knows where we will end up after the 2006 Hong Kong sevens..