Hong Kong Rugby 7's

The main reason for our trip to Hong Kong was to attend the Hong Kong Rugby Seven’s tournament. This event had about 20 nations playing seven aside for seven minute halves. The football action was fabulous but the entertainment from the crowd was simply amazing.

On the Friday night launch my mate Neil and I found our way by mistake into the southern stand and we sat next to the funniest bunch of guys from the USA, UK, Aussie and Hong Kong....well could these guys tell a joke...one was so good I will need to practice and hopefully do it justice when I am next around ”the boys”. It was a bloody funny night.

We found ourselves back at the same location at opening time Saturday, alas the funny guys were nowhere to be seen, however we discovered that Saturday was dress up in your best costume day....and they all sat in the southern stand around us. We saw, bikie’s with stocking painted tattoos on their arms and legs making them look real mean, Marilyn Monroe’s, Fire Chiefs, Amy Winehouse (girls with makeup tattoos all over them), Matty Johns ”bring back the biff” boys, Amish people, Star Wars characters, cowboys, Indians, the hulk, you name it and it was there. However the most entertaining group was about twelve big guys from South Africa who were dressed in a pink Sharks rugby jersey board shorts and blue construction helmets.

These boys were in for a big day as we would soon find out.....games started at 9.30 and at 9.35 the chant went out from our little area SHOE...SHOE...SHOE...at this point one guy removed his shoe and held it up and pours in his 1 litre cup of beer into his shoe and proceeds to skull the whole shoe filled of beer which he does easily to the crowds delight. No more than 10 -15 minutes goes by and around us we hear the chant HELMET...HELMET...HELMET at which point previous shoe sculling man stands up holds out his blue helmet and people all around him donate beer to his helmet and again once full - proceeds to skull his helmet of beer and then put his helmet back on. Crowd is delighted with his mighty efforts...took me two hours to drink my beer and this guy does it in one minute. I think this guy was the smartest of all his 12 mates because he went first. As the day went on each guy was encouraged shall we say to do the SHOE skull and then followed by the HELMET skull. Each time more and more crowd participation in voice and beer donating. I don’t think these guys by the end of the day saw any rugby action and in fact I don’t think they would even know they were in Hong Kong....but the crowd sure was glad as Neil and I were as they sat two rows in front of us. I have never laughed so much and seen so many antics at one day at the football...unbelievable fun all day.

Imagine my surprise when reading the paper the next morning. The photo above shows the South African lads and a few others at the football in a news paper story that ran on Sunday in the South China Morning Post...if you look carefully you will see me in the photo!!!!!

That night when Dominique and I were walking back to our hotel room I noticed this car and said to D that it looked like a new Aston Martin sports car.

The grill was a give away but the lights where different, well to my amazement when I got up to the side it was only a two door car about the size of a mini!!!!!

Saturday night we went to a Japanese restaurant being managed by a friend of Neils. He insisted we do sample some high percent vol sake from his cellar. By the time he got to the 60% proof I was asking for only a few drops! It was deadly stuff.

It was above the streets of Lan Kwai Fong. For those who dont know, Lan Kwai Fong is party central in Hong Kong. Particularly for westerners. Here is a shot D took of the street as we were leaving.

There is no limit on drinking outdoors so people just buy a beer and stand in the street and chat. Each tiny bar was pumping out lound music, each competing with each other. Still they were drowned out by the competing chanting of the costumed lads having fun.

The cars are amazing over here this trip....Bentleys and Rolls Royces, Maserati’s everywhere...makes the little old Porsche look very common indeed. Check out this diamante grill and number plate surround on this Mercedes!

Anyway the football was a blast and will do again in the future....better start thinking of my costume ... anyone want to come?