Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2021 Cancelled; Event Will Next Take Place in 2022

The Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, regarded by many fans as not only the greatest celebration of rugby sevens in the world, but also a networking event like no other, has again been cancelled.

The event had been scheduled to take place 5-7 November 2021, but with the growing uncertainty over emerging coronavirus variants and on-going travel restrictions globally, the Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU) and World Rugby decided it best to cancel.

No tickets were placed on sale for the 2021 tournament.

The decision follows dialogue with World Rugby and the participating unions as well as the relevant Hong Kong government bodies, and has been taken with the health and wellbeing of the rugby community and the wider public as top priority.

The HKRU has exerted significant efforts to stage the tournament in 2021, including consulting professional medical advisors, and planning to implement physically distanced seating, full on-ground bubbling of teams and operations staff, and a split in schedule into daily time-limited sessions to allow for enhanced venue sanitizing.

However, the difficulties and uncertainties around travel restrictions and the rising global concern over emerging variants, combined with the pressing timelines behind staging one of Hong Kong’s premier international events - now just 91 days from kick-off - made hosting the tournament to the HKRU’s exacting standards unfeasible.

Continued restrictions around international travel have significantly complicated the participation of numerous teams for November, including those from high-risk travel areas that are forbidden from entering Hong Kong at present. Increasing domestic lockdowns and tightening quarantine restrictions around outbound travel present further complications for teams from across the world.

The 2022 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens is scheduled to take place 1-3 April.

“We are of course disappointed not to host the world-famous Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens in 2021,” said Mr Robbie McRobbie, Chief Executive of the HKRU. “While in many ways we are even better prepared to host than we were a year ago, concerns over the Delta variant and intensifying travel restrictions have complicated matters significantly. Given these trends, the decision to cancel was painful, but not difficult, particularly with expectations high that with vaccination rates increasing daily, we can welcome the Sevens back in true rugby style in April.”

Established in 1976 and organised annually by the Hong Kong Rugby Union, the Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens has been a part of World Rugby’s HSBC Sevens Series since 1999.

The Hong Kong Rugby Union is the only international rugby union to have hosted two Rugby World Cup Sevens, in 1997 and 2005.

Rugby pictures: Pictures from 2019 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2018 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2017 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2016 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures of Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2015, Pictures of the Asia Rugby Sevens Olympic Games Qualifier in Hong Kong, Pictures of Singha Thailand Sevens 2015, Pictures from the 2013 British & Irish Lions Tour in Hong Kong, Pictures of Hong Kong Sevens 2014, Pictures of Hong Kong Sevens 2013, Pictures of Chartis Cup 2012 and Pictures of Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2012.

See latest Travel Industry News, Video Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: Rugby, Sevens, Hong Kong, Pictures from the Hong Kong Sevens.