Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018: Hong Kong needs Kai Tak Sports Park stadium to keep top dog status, as San Francisco proves
Americans put on fantastic show at AT&T Park in San Francisco, and Hong Kong may struggle to compete given limitations of So Kon Po stadium
The Hong Kong Sevens’ needs a new stadium if it is to stay ahead of the competition, with San Francisco’s successful staging of the Rugby World Cup Seven proving that rival cities are catching up.
Hong Kong Rugby Union chief executive Robbie McRobbie, who attended the tournament over the weekend, said he was impressed by how the Americans put on the three-day show at the 40,800-capacity AT&T Park – the home of baseball’s Giants.
“We definitely need a new stadium,” said McRobbie. “The entire sporting community in Hong Kong is looking forward to the Kai Tak Sports Hub.
“It will certainly provide us with an absolutely world-class sporting venue and an environment that will enable us to do a lot of stuff that is currently a bit of a struggle with the existing stadium.”
The HK$32 billion Kai Tak Sports Hub is scheduled for completion in 2022 and will feature a number of top-class sporting facilities including the showpiece 50,000-seater main stadium.