Hong Kong Rugby Sevens 2013 Guide – how to survive the Sevens Sassy-style!

It’s almost time. Time for one of Hong Kong’s most loved sporting institutions. Time for when watching spectators is a spectator sport. Time for when it’s ok to dress like a jellyfish… caveman… rubber duck… or Katy Perry wannabe. Time… for the 2013 Hong Kong Rugby Sevens (March 22-24 at Hong Kong Stadium)! Whether you’ve been going for years or are getting amongst the action for the first time, here are our essential tips and tricks for surviving the Sevens in true Sassy style!

P.S. Don’t forget to check out our guide to all the hottest Sevens parties and promotions in our events round-up here!

GOLDEN TICKETS

There’s no disputing it: if you manage to land a Sevens ticket then you’re almost as lucky as Charlie Bucket scoring a visit to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory! As each year passes, they seem to become harder and harder to get hold of. Ideally, if you plan to hit the Sevens, you’ll already have a ticket sorted. However, if this is not the case, here are a few ways you could try get your hands on one:

• Scalpers outside the stadium
• Websites like Asiaxpat and Geoexpat
• Facebook groups (try here or here)
• Through friends, colleagues, friends of colleagues…

DON’T GET STITCHED UP!

Fiercer than a runway at New York Fashion Week, the Hong Kong Sevens is all about what you wear and how you wear it (over and above the rugby, obviously)! As Sassy girls, we never shy away from a bit of competition so the best advice we can give you is to decide what you’re wearing and make it amazing! There are many places to source weird and wonderful costumes and props, but if you really want to get on the front cover of the SCMP (the ultimate goal for costume die-hards) you need to think outside the box! Come up with a unique idea, wrangle the troops and piece together something you can happily (not to mention comfortably) don for two long days.

Here are a few places to check out for costumes:

• Market stalls – Pottinger Street, Wan Chai Market and Mong Kok. Beware of rising prices the closer you get to D-Day.
• Perennial party costume favourite Matteo Party (3/F 530-532, Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, 2342 8887)
• Tailors – get yourself suited and booted by one of the specialist Sevens tailors (yes they do exist). Check out Wedding Shop in World-Wide Plaza, Central.
• Be boring and deck yourself out with the Hong Kong Sevens official merchandise – just don’t expect to make the front page in that!

Whilst it’s probably a little too late to make a mad dash to Shenzhen, definitely consider this option next year; there are some bargains to be had up there!

THE MAIN EVENT…

Friday
Friday is officially the first day of this infamous weekend. Some ladies may opt to sit this day out but, if you are keen to check out the action, you can certainly catch a few games if you head straight there from the office. It’s not fancy dress, just a sociable evening. But girls, be warned: unless you have seriously good stamina, try to avoid getting too over excited, save yourself for Saturday!

Saturday
Saturday is the biggest day of the three and the chance to show off your fancy dress in all its glory. Don’t forget your glasses – not to watch the rugby but to get a good gawk at the costume competition.

If you’re aiming to join the cool kids in the South Stand, get there no later than 9am. We also recommend getting snap happy before you arrive at the venue as your costume will never look quite as good again!

For the sophisticated Sassy girls looking to check out the eye candy (and possibly the rugby), the East and West stands also provide great energy and atmosphere with perfect vantage points for watching the carnage in the South Stand.

Sunday
If you’re still standing (and your costume is still intact), Sunday is FINALS DAY! Sit back, relax, enjoy and recover. You may also want to call in sick for work on Monday if your head is pounding and you’re in a dark place… but we didn’t tell you that.

22-24 March 2012, Hong Kong Stadium, 55 Eastern Hospital Road, So Kon Po, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; www.hksevens.com

SASSY’S LUCKY EIGHT ESSENTIALS FOR SURVIVING THE SEVENS!

1.     Water bottle
That’s right, ladies: water is your friend. Don’t think you can survive the Sevens (coherently anyway) without a constant source of H2O. Keep a bottle handy so you can stay hydrated and level out your alcohol intake at the same time.

2.     Maracas
…Or any other sort of instrument that makes a decent amount of noise with minimal movement. Why? Because believe it or not, after a few hours of hooting and whoop whooping for the boys on the pitch, your vocal chords are going to beg you for a break!

3.     Hand sanitizer and wet wipes
The restrooms churn out more people over Sevens weekend than McDonald’s does hamburgers… Need we say more? If you want to be exceptionally organised, fragrance-free wet wipes are also handy for combating smudged eyeliner and misplaced face paint.

4.     Sunscreen
If your costume doesn’t include a shady headpiece, be sure to regularly slip, slop, slap on the SPF over the course of the weekend – even if it’s cloudy. Many Sevens-goers have been victims of the sun in previous years and we can assure you it’s not a club you want to join. Be a Sassy girl and look after your skin (we love Shu Uemura’s sunscreen)!

5.     Mini sewing kit
Busted bra straps… Ripped zips… Torn skirts… Many costumes become Sevens casualties. To avoid a fashion malfunction happening to you or one of your friends, slip a few safety pins, a needle and a spool of thread into your bag before leaving home.

6.     Emergency phone locator apps
If you’ve ever left your phone in a taxi, at a restaurant or (even worse) had one stolen, you’ll know how annoying and unsettling it can be. Although the Sassy team hopes this doesn’t happen to you during Sevens weekend, we recommend equipping your smart phone with a locator app such as Find My iPhone or Where’s My Droid ASAP because… cue your mum’s voice… it’s better to be safe than sorry!

7.     Bag with a zip
That’s right: zips are your friends (though perhaps not quite as many as the bag above)! To help prevent your valuable essentials going walkabout, we suggest packing them into a kit or purse that can be sealed shut. If you plan to spread the load amongst your friends, be clever and don’t put all of your eggs (i.e. phones and wallets) in the same basket. Another option is a bumbag, if you’d rather your stuff avoided contact with the beer-covered floor altogether!

Speaking of wallets – make sure you have some cash handy! All of your hydration and nutrition needs can be purchased onsite, from drinks to greasy spoon chips, ice creams to pies. However, be warned: they come at a cost.

8.     Be shoe smart
Ladies, the Sevens is not the day to break in those new shoes! In fact, don’t wear shoes you actually like – no matter how cute your new Kate Spade x Keds may be, they will not look nearly as pretty once covered in beer and who knows what else! H&M and Park N Shop do some great, super cheap plimsolls that you can throw away on Sunday night ($99 – bargain!). Side note: Do NOT wear flip-flops – you never know what you may step in!

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So, with these little tidbits of knowledge in your back pocket, go forth and conquer, Sassy girls! Kit yourselves out in your costumes, get rowdy, drink responsibly and (most importantly) enjoy the rugby!