Just when you think that Hong Kong can’t look any more ridiculous to the outside world than it already is, the powers that be manage to outdo themselves. It’s quite a feat.
While a totally ill-prepared government and its health officials dither with quarantine measures, and more and more additions and colour coding to apps, all of which takes the fun out of going out for lunch, let alone dinner, and an airport that’s such a disaster area that it’s not even in the Top Ten Airports in Asia- forget the world- but Asia, comes today’s exclusive announcement in the South China Morning Post that the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens will return to the city this November at the Hong Kong Stadium after a three year break.
In the latest edition of the story, Hong Kong Rugby Union CEO- Robbie McRobbie, below- is this sounding even the tiniest bit Monty Pythonesque?- is quoted throughout and sounds so happy that he could kiss the sky and play air guitar with his teeth.
With the go ahead said to have been given by the “highest echelons in the government”, Robbie McRobbie describes it as a “watershed moment” that positively SCREAMS out to the world that Hong Kong is open for business.
Let’s just hope that all the obstacles in its way have been tackled in ways needed and where Hong Kong doesn’t fall on its own sword and embarrass itself. Again.
Let’s try and be positive for now that the colourful event which always brought the world to Hong Kong happens- and not in some half-arsed way where the “watershed moment” becomes nothing more than a weird version of the Flowerpot Men.
The hitherto unknown Robbie McRobbie has much riding on this. Very very much.
How this news is greeted by those at the Hong Kong Jockey Club with regards to its own Hong Kong International Races will be very interesting to know...
Approval from “upper echelons of the government” when there are so many other fires to put out in Hong Kong, which are affecting the daily lives of the far less fortunate, comes at what could be a very wrong time.
Of course, the 2022 Hong Kong Rugby Sevens- and it’s a constantly evolving and strange little story with different bylines- comes attached with a raft of rules.
What in Hong Kong doesn’t these days?
There’s no food allowed into the Hong Kong Stadium, but bringing in drinks is allowed. Thank gawd for that.
Players and officials involved in the event will have to adhere to a closed loop system that will, most likely, have them confined to their hotel and the stadium.
There’s some other stuff on the laundry list, but we have to wonder which teams would be coming to Hong Kong and how long they have trained for the event?
Do they even know about it?
As for overseas visitors, how many are ready, willing and able to pack their bags and fly into today’s Hong Kong and constantly changing quarantine measures for the November event?
Who will be sponsoring the event? Cathay Pacific? HSBC? Standard Chartered?
Robbie McRobbie and Big Balls Associates?
One also can’t help wondering about the event being approved by “the upper echelons of the government” and who they could be?
Is good old Duncan Pescod back in Hong Kong?
