Kai Tak hosts rugby match as dummy run for new venue

The Kai Tak Sports Park on Saturday hosted an international rugby match in gloomy weather as another trial event to test the site's smaller outdoor venue, with more signage and faster security checks. The match between Hong Kong and Brazil kicked off at around 4 pm at the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground. It was the second test event at the 5,000-seat venue, which hosted a local football league game last month. Around 2,500 people turned up to the sports ground in the end, according to the government, fewer than the previous estimate of 3,000. The rugby match, which ended in pouring rain, saw the SAR team claim a 38-17 victory. Officials including sports minister Kevin Yeung and security chief Chris Tang were spotted at the stadium, with the latter saying authorities have made improvements since the previous trial event. "We have doubled the number of security screening counters, and set up fast lanes for those who did not bring any bags," Tang told reporters. Yeung said after the match that the event went more smoothly than the first trial, and that the government would continue to put the sports ground to the test. "We will continue to hold a series of trial events and drills until the venue's official opening in the first quarter of next year... Next Saturday, we will conduct a stress test with 5,000 people," Yeung said, adding that more details would be unveiled in the coming week. Chris Brooke, chairman of Hong Kong, China Rugby, hailed the test run's success. "It's been a great opportunity for our team to come to operate an event here, in advance of the Hong Kong Sevens next March. As we build up towards the Sevens, it's been a great experience and a very good opportunity for our rugby community to come to the venue to experience the Kai Tak Sports Park, and to see what a great venue it is," he said. Spectators must purchase their tickets online prior to the event, and they were not allowed to bring in long umbrellas or any food and drink. But a spectator surnamed Mak said the rule was too strict. "A drawback is that we are not allowed to bring our water bottles into the venue. I wish they could be more lenient and let us bring our own water," she told RTHK. For rugby-lover Derek, the cloudy weather posed a bit of a problem. "It's quite convenient to get from the MTR station to the venue, but it's troublesome to have to carry an umbrella on rainy days," he said. "I would suggest adding some covers for walkways... My feet were completely soaked." The sports park's indoor stadium is to host a basketball match on December 7, while the first trial run at the main stadium is scheduled for January next year. Last updated: 2024-11-16 HKT 19:11