https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/HKWR7s-Hong-Kong-v-Kenya-So-Kon-Po-6-April-2017/i-zXqs9tj
After last year forcing children to pay adult prices for their tickets. Those prices have gone up as the Hong Kong Rugby Union announced that tickets will increased by $50/day, approximately 8%.
Not that the general public can buy them anymore, but from 2018 a three-day ticket – except HK rugby are not calling them tickets anymore they’ve been rebranded as “event packages” – costs $1950, up from $1,800 in 2017.
There’s so much guff verbiage and faux justifications within the HKRU release announcing the price increase that you’d swear they’ve been taking lessons from Trump.
The guff includes that fans at the stadium have to pay more so that other people can watch the Sevens for free “HKRU is also expending significant funds to share the excitement of the Sevens with the wider community, with its free admission fan zones in Chater Garden and Lee Gardens”.
I wonder what the sponsors and suppliers who paid HKRU massive sums to have their brands linked to the Sevens and have a presence at those two locations think about that fiction.
The HKRU claims the Sevens are “still excellent value” but there was a lot less actual rugby played at the 2017 Sevens than in years past – so fans of rugby are being shafted twice… paying more for a lot less.
Robbie McRobbie, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Rugby Union states that “We have an obligation to generate as much revenue as possible from the tournament to support the growth of the game in Hong Kong.”
This from an organisation that is quite probably the richest rugby union in the world and has according to a recent annual return assets of well over $250 million.
The Sevens will still sell out because it’s a unique event and can trade on it’s name and reputation for years to come, but the atmosphere at recent events is not what it used to be and the fans disquiet and sense of being milked increases every year.
What the HKRU and World Rugby fail to understand is that fans do go to watch the rugby. The non-stop run of games throughout the day keeps fan energy high. Now with big gaps in the rugby, the atmosphere and energy sags. We don’t need bands with awful sound systems playing 5 songs. The energy from the rugby drives the Sevens fan experience which powers the rugby… More rugby, more women’s rugby and less of the insipid distractions.
Hong Kong Sevens
Date: 6-8 April 2018
Venue: Hong Kong Stadium
Tickets: $1,950.