Source: WhildChina. To see the full version of the article, please click here.
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Over the weekend, WildChina took a break from the rugby to speak with anthropologist Joseph Bosco
at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who has been doing research into
rugby culture and the Hong Kong Sevens, to better understand how a
sports event held in Hong Kong became so immensely popular (because,
let’s face it, rugby is not usually what springs to mind when you think
of the Chinese urban metropolis).
Bosco says the sport itself, the nature of sevens rugby is “ideal for socializing, since it has spans of intense action and excitement along with half-time breaks (two minutes), and pauses between games (about five minutes). The Sevens game fits the Hong Kong pace of life and attention span. In Hong Kong [time] is scarce; while everyone else in the rugby world enjoys an 80-minute game, the city has shortened it to just 14 minutes.”
“Sevens is also easier to understand…it’s a more open game. Spectators can see the ball almost all the time, and they can see players form lines of defense, and though they may not understand how the gap was created, they can easily see the player spurt through a hole in the line to break away into open field, do a side-step on the hapless halfback, and score. Even someone who has never before seen rugby can understand the basics of sevens rugby.”
Finally, he says, “the Hong Kong Sevens means different things to
different people, but the different meanings complement each other and
have synergy. Spectators who come for the party also learn to enjoy the
rugby. Rugby fans who come for the athletic contest also enjoy the
festive atmosphere. And the businesspeople who come for branding and
networking can do their work more effectively and pleasantly thanks to
the party and the rugby.”...
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