THE Majestic International Hotel in Hong Kong is the most famous
watering hole in South East Asia, with breathtaking vista of the
waterfront and mainland Kowloon just across the bay.
The hotel's general manager is a genial Scot born and bred in Dysart,
Fife, James A Smith, but the setting may seem very far removed from the
rugby world that, just last Saturday, encompassed the fall from grace at
Meggetland of the reigning champions, Kelso. However, for the Kelso
captain, John Jeffrey, and an awe-inspiring galaxy of rugby talent, Hong
Kong this weekend is the centre of the rugby universe.
The Hong Kong sevens have drawn from all corners of the rugby world
talents famous and comparatively unknown for a quite unique two-day
tournament that, once again, as in every one of the past 13 years, has
fired the enthusiasm and anticipation of the expatriate population of
this remarkable island.
It is hard to believe, but the tournament is a complete sell-out and
the organisers, Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Bank, of which Willie
Purves, a man of Kelso, is chairman, are concerned about the possible
overflow after the Government Stadium is packed to its 28,000 capacity.
It is an enduring disappointment in Hong Kong that the Home Countries
do not send national sides to compete. Indeed, on this occasion there
are 24 invited teams, all national representative sides with national
coaches in attendance, except two, the Barbarians and the Irish
Wolfhounds.
Of course, the Scottish Border Club, Co-optimists, and Public School
Wanderers have competed there in the past and there are hopes that the
Borderers might accept a future invitation, although they decided not to
travel this time apparently because of the possible effect on the Gala
tournament of the absence of nine class players.
Yet those who have competed in the event in the past rate it as one of
the highlights of their careers. David Campese, perhaps the world's most
glittering current star, has travelled from Milan, where he plays his
out-of-Australian season as virtually a full-time player. This agreeable
genius paid the high accolade that ''to me winning the Hong Kong sevens
is one of the great rugby experiences.''
Campese is one of a squad chosen almost entirely from the Australian
tour party to England and Scotland in October and November and they look
a hot lot -- Ian Williams, Acura Nuiqila, Michael Lynagh, Brad Burke,
Jeff Miller, Steve Tuynman, Julian Gardner, and Australia's most capped
player, Simon Poidevin.
But they are smarting from a whipping they received from New Zealand
in Lynagh's absence at the Sydney International sevens last weekend. As
holders they are, as Bob Dwyer, their blunt coach warned, ''hoping to do
a bloody sight better that they did on their own patch.''
Finlay Calder, John Jeffrey and Scott Hastings are ready to do battle
for a powerful Barbarian seven who, in 1981, became the only northern
hemisphere side ever to win the event. The winning try on that occasion
was scored by Les Cusworth, Leicester's aged wizard who this time is in
the Irish Wolfhounds group that has called in Roger Baird, no stranger
to those parts.
Baird and fellow Merchistonian Jeffrey were guests on Wednesday
evening at a cocktail party thrown by several Merchistonians who made
Hong Kong a port of call during the tour of Japan by the Merchiston
Castle rugby party.
Another helpful ex-patriot is Glen Docherty, brother of Jimmy who
played eight times for Scotland out of Glasgow High School FP between
1955 and 1958 and who dropped a goal when Scotland ended that miserable
run of 17 consecutive defeats with a 14-8 victory over Wales in 1955.
The tournament comprises eight pools of three teams each. It might
surprise readers that sides are entered from Thailand, South Korea,
Taipeh, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Bahrain as well as Hong Kong, who will
then set out for Scotland to take part in the Melrose sevens and
15-a-side matches against Melrose and Jed-Forest.
Local feeling has it that New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Western
Samoa are the big guns, but the Barbarians seem seriously intent on
repeating their 1981 triumph in leaning on the sevens acumen of Jeffrey
and Calder, and the Irish Wolfhounds not only have Baird but the Oxford
Wallaby Brian Smith, as well
as Ireland's captain, Philip Matthews, Neil Francis, and Denis
McBride.
It is, however, the camaraderie among players of all the nations that
transcends everything at this unique competition, where even a side that
loses one or both of its pool games still has the chance of winning the
Plate Trophy or the Bowl. Cusworth summed up the feelings of all who
have experienced its peculiar attraction: ''It is the best tournament in
the world bar none. It epitomizes what rugby is all about.''
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