The Hong Kong Rugby Sevens are just around the corner, mamas, and if you’ve been lucky enough to snap up tickets for the entire family (kiddos in tow) you’ll know by now just how hotly anticipated this weekend is each year!
Whether it’s your first Sevens or you’re a seasoned goer, we can’t wait to bring our mini rugby-rooters with us and have a fantastic couple of days watching great sport and soaking up the incredible atmosphere in the stadium. But before you go here’s a sneak peek at our bite-size survival guide below with our top tips and things to remember…
What to Take
Snacks and drinks – The stadium is a glass, container and bottle-free zone, but there’s no rule to say that you can’t bring a cool bag filled with your favourite sandwiches and snacks like crisps, crackers and granola bars, all of which are bound to come in handy when the little ones start to get peckish! The stadium is full of fast food vendors, as well as those walking around the stands selling bits and bobs like pies and ice creams (great for a cool treat when the sun starts to heat up the stands) so you’ll never be at a loss for options – but they can often be over priced and sadly there aren’t many healthy options available. As for drinks, mamas and papas can enjoy a tipple at one of the many beer stands, as well as soft drinks and water, but if you’re looking to save a little over the weekend or would like to bring your own, we’ve found it handy in the past to use emergency water bags from Living Plaza which can store up to a litre of liquid (includingPimm’s!).
Wet Wipes/hand sanitiser – Obviouslywith so many people attending the games, The Sevens isn’t going to be cleanest, but let’s be honest… neither are our kids! Wet Wipes are sure to save the day when our chubby cherubs are covered in ice cream and there’s more sausage roll in hair than hair itself. Hand sanitiser is a great one for those emergency bathroom trips and handy to have to quickly freshen up if you and your little are feeling a bit grimy.
Sunscreen/Hat – It seems hard to believe with the weather we’ve been having, but it’ll soon start to warm up and when the sun starts to shine, the stadium basks openly in the rays! With little coverage for majority of the stands (especially if you’re sitting lower down) you’ll start to burn quickly, so be sure to lotion up before leaving home, and bring some spare with you.
An autograph book – This one is a must, mama! With the chance for your kiddos to catch their favourite rugby players as they make their way around the stands and back to the changing rooms, you’ll definitely want to have pen and paper on hand to snap up their signatures! For a special keepsake, why not buy a programme and see if your tiny tykes can collect signatures from teams all over the world.
Entertainment – If your little ones are a little too little to keep their attention fixed on the rugby games for the entire day, make sure to bring some alternative entertainment with you, mama – whether it’s something to colour or their favourite book – leave the iPads at home!
Where to Sit
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that the Hong Kong Sevens is notorious for it’s rowdy South Stand, heck you’ve probably been among it yourself at some stage, mamas, but that doesn’t mean that you’re limited to where you sit with your little ones! Both the upper East and West stands tend to be the tamest and most family-friendly, where it’s easy to set up camp for the day (you’ll want to get there early to be able to grab seats together, however), close to food and drink stalls and awesome views of the entire rugby pitch. If you have older kids or tweens, the North stand is a great compromise for an area for them to sit with their friends, enjoy their surroundings and safely be in the thick of it all.
Alternative Activities
Game stalls – There’s tons of fun things happening across the weekend, and this includes trying your hand at the game and entertainment stalls, where kiddos can win temporary tattoos and enjoy themselves with their friends.
Fan Stands – Fan stands are dotted around the stadium, and are a great place to buy your kids and yourselves souvenirs, memorabilia and rugby merchandise like the official Hong Kong Sevens and team jerseys as well as rugby balls which tend to go down a storm (and sell out fast!) – a perfect tool for collecting signatures too.
Half Time Entertainment – This year the entertainment is probably more for us mamas and papas, as The Proclaimers and David Hasselhoff grace the stage during the half time show! You can also expect a traditional marching band performance and if we’re lucky, a special lion dance!
Mini Rugby – If your kiddo isn’t already signed up to play, why not head down to the stadium early (schedule to be released soon) and check out the mini rugby tournament held on pitch!
Singing and Dancing – This one’s a given, mamas! Without a doubt you’ll be spending the day having the most fun singing and dancing to your favourite tunes with your family. Trust us, the atmosphere is contagious and you won’t even mind getting spotted doing the Macarena with your man in front of thousands on the live camera feed!
Dressing Up
Face Painting – A ton of face painting stalls are waiting, brushes at the ready to turn your toddler into a team supporter, and don your favourite flag on your own cheek!
Costumes – A huge part of the weekend is the crazy array of costumes! We highly suggest bringing a pair of binoculars with you to people watch in between matches (good one for the kids to keep entertained with, too), and have a good peer at the South Stand as some of these costumes will have your heads turning at a million miles an hour! Get involved with the fun and start planning a costume the entire family can get on board with or head down to Pottinger Street, one of these fancy dress shops with your bubs and have them choose their own – or dig out those old Halloween favourites before they’re too big to wear them twice!
Kely Support
On a slightly more serious note, this one needs to be addressed briefly, mama. The Hong Kong Sevens is an incredible weekend with family and friends, and there’s no doubt that the stories will be recreated in this year’s Christmas newsletter! But with thousands of people attending and the temptation of alcohol at every turn, it can be reassuring to know that Kely Support Group is on hand to help with all drug and alcohol related incidents, providing support and treatment to anyone in need, including teenagers – no questions asked.
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