Sevens fever hits Hong Kong

Press, 24 March 1988, Page 36

Sevens fever hits Hong Kong

By

TIM DONOGHUE,

of NZPA, in Hong Kong After serious consideration Father McCarthy has. officially cancelled Sunday school and "The Queen” (cruise ship) Elizabeth II will . be in town for this weekend's Hong Koflg Sevens ' i rugby tournament. ■! [ Even stoical customs men at Kai Tak Airport ha,ye also turned a blind eye in Recent days to "gweilos” (foreign devils) bringing in Supplies for Sunday morning's Government Stadium champagne breakfast. In Hong Kong the last week-end in March I means One thing to the expatriate community-and thousands of others who fly in for twb days of fellowship and revelry — the sevens. New Zealand has won the event two years in a row and ■ this year Zinzan Brooke's side could receive a ' semi-final shock from the British touring side, Penguins; which includes the former All [Blacks, David Kirk, Wayne Smith and Craig Green. ! j ' Despite the suspension of 43 futures brokers on -the Hong Kong Stock Exchange following last!Octobers crash wagers surrounding! the sevens- are oncejj again healthy. Last year the smart! money was on Wayne Shelford’s All Blacks. . I! But this year, with [players like Dallas Seymour and Eric Rush unknown in the colony and Shelford absent from the

line-up, teams like the Penguins. and Fiji have entered the reckoning, i i The organisjer behind the Penguins, Tony Mason, is opitimistic, notwithstanding! the .presence of John! Kirwan- in | the New Zealand team.-| .1 “We have got a lot of talent [in the side ap'd if they click [we should [do well," Mr I Mason said. M ■ | [ Many of the 30,000 fans •expected to pack the Government Stadium for the. [final' know very little about rugby.! But they do know how to enjoy themselves as anyonb who saw the streakers 4. some beautiful ' and others gross -[■ who breached! security by. taking to-the pitch last year. [I I’ ' |' I Two people!— a man and a woman — were convicted for indecent exposure following last year’s evbnt and the final between New Zealand and Fiji was halted! for some minutes wh[en [ youngsters went walkabout. The Hong Kong Rugby Union chairman,! Mr Peter Duncan, said: his union had ■taken steps to[ tighten security this year. | [’ "After each sevens we sit down and [ look at the strengths and weaknesses of the tournament," .said. Mr Duncan, one-of the teachers at Fr McCarthy’s Sunday school. J [,! : [4 "Security was. one area which could [be tightened up after last year and we have taken steps to do that.” I The head of. [the Sevens

Security Committee, Mr Bill] Brown, has enlisted the services ■ of 100 yellow tee-! shirted volunteer stewards in; an endeavour! to stop streak-! ers and help! prevent pitch invasions. [ “But there is no question of 'stewards manhandling any-: : body,? Mr Brown said. j Kirk; Smith and Green ! apart, another player to have captured the imagination of the Hong Kong rugby public [in the sevens build-up is the i former Fijian international; . I Acura Niuqila. ! i Niuqjla, who has played' in ’ the Sydney club competition for the last three years, has [ be.en selected to represent I Australia by its new coach; | Bob Dwyer. I He [was a member of the | Fijian side which won the cup [in 1984.. ■ He' is one of four new [ players in the Australian side-

which, will be captained by Queensland's Michael Lynagh: and includes such j experi-l enced players [ as David. Campese and Steve Tynman. The other three new; .players are], the Queensland flanker, Julian Gardner, and two Sydney [players, the lock, Tim Gavin, and the half-back, Brad Burke. The ’ former North Island selector, George; Simpkin, who helped'guide Fiji during its World Cup campaign last; year and is! at present coach-' ing in Hong Kong,. believes! Niu'qila’s presence . will en-! hance Australia's prospects of winning the tournament for a 1 fifth time, [j !| [' ! ' ' [ “He is absolutely magic. He will be a i king-pin in the Australian [side. ;He is the ideal utility(back — strong as a, bull, a great tackler and magnificent! mover,” Mr Simpkin said, i; 4| I