HotelTravel.com’s Top Ten Reasons to Watch the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens

Phuket, Thailand, March 21, 2010 --(PR.com)-- HotelTravel.com is in a scrum for the best value for money hotel deals at the upcoming Hong Kong Rugby Sevens from 26 to 28 March, offering awesome rates for Asia’s number one sporting event.

HotelTravel.com Chief Information Officer, Olivier Dombey, said the attending the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens is a rite of passage for anyone living and working in Asia.

“The Hong Kong Rugby Sevens is all sport, part theatre and 100 per cent unadulterated fun. HotelTravel.com is pleased to offer great hotel rates in addition to 10 compelling reasons why our loyal customers should attend this year’s 35th anniversary competition,” he added.

History
The world's premier Rugby Sevens Tournament was born over pre-luncheon drinks at the venerable old Hong Kong Club on a misty spring day in 1975. Today the Hong Kong Sevens remains one of the best examples of the internationalism that has helped make sevens rugby the world's newest Olympic sport.

Chicks Dig Rugby
Here is a naughty little secret: women love going to the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens even though they protest too much. Look around the stands at any Sevens match and see who has a pair of binoculars or long camera lens the size of the Hubble Space Telescope. The vast majority seem to be women. They are scanning scrums, rucks and mauls for muscle popping eye candy in tight fitting rugby kit.

Never Sells Out
Although tickets are technically 'sold out' as soon as they go on sale, there are always tickets available at the ground. If you hang around outside the stadium you are bound to find a ticket, at least for one of the days. Hong Kong residents always seem to be able to get tickets, so put the word out and ask around.

Men in Mini-Skirts
Cross dressing at sporting events is nothing new, but for some reason male spectators at the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens tend to take it to a new level. It might be because most of them are straight and build for a good old fashion ruck, not fashion. Compliment them, goose them and call them ‘sexy’ only if you’re female or prepare to get thumped. . .

South Stand Seating
The South Stands of the 40,000-seater stadium is the place to hang to watch sports and people watch. While Men in Mini-Skirts are all de rigueur, don’t be surprised to also be seated near a group of red-robed judges in wigs, next to a 6-foot chap in a pink chiffon dress or a group of very overweight men in bath towels and shower caps. In this part of the stadium laughter and friendship are never in short supply.

Streaking
This 1970s fad lives on at the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, usually in the form of a 100-kilo drunken male spectator stripping off his mini-skirt and running onto the pitch stark raving naked. When was the last time you saw a young, fit, attractive woman drop her drawers and streak around a sports stadium anywhere? Exactly.

Heaps of Hotels
Check out HotelTravel.com for great rates on Hong Kong hotelsFor Causeway Bay hotels consider the L’Hotel Causeway Bay Harbour View Hong Kong (from US$ 88 per night), Metropark Hotel Causeway Bay (from US$ 121 per night), Excelsior Hotel Hong Kong (from US$ 263 per night), Regal Hong Kong Hotel (from US$ 173 per night) or the Express by Holiday Inn Causeway Bay Hong Kong Hotel (from US$ 165 per night).***

Street Feasts
Hong Kong as emerged as the culinary capital of Asia. But forgo the high brow fare and hit the streets for the best budget feasts this side of the Yellow River. For dim sum try and find Saam Hui Yaat on a grubby stretch of Sai Wan. For street eats, head to Bowrington Road and look for Shop 32-33, but the road basically becomes one long restaurant after dark with dozens of ‘cafes’ to choose from.

Stanley Market
A great pre or post tournament day out can be had at the Stanley Market. For those that want a peek at the Hong Kong of old make a point to visit this quaint seaside village. It does not take long before visitors are trawling the historic fishing lanes where vendors still tout their wares the way it was done a century ago.

Best Pubs
Hong Kong pubs are world class and part of its legacy as a former British colony. Old favourites always packed with rugby types during the tournament include the Dickens Pub in the Excelsior Hotel basement in Causeway Bay, Delaney’s or Carnegies’ in Wan Chai, and Bar George or Bulldogs in Lan Kwai Fong.

***All hotel rates are as of 19 March, 2010, priced in US$ and subject to change.

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