The relocation of Hong Kong’s rugby sevens tournament to Kai Tak Sports Park is helping to forge new traditions, as attendees accustomed to Wan Chai’s vibrant postgame scene are now exploring Kowloon’s culinary delights, opting for hotpot and Thai restaurants instead of the usual pub crawls. Roxy Yuen Tsz-ting, 28, an event manager who bought three-day tickets and enjoyed the rugby tournament with her boyfriend, said on Friday that the games moving from Hong Kong Stadium to Kai Tak Sports Park prompted them to have hotpot dinner in Kowloon City instead of revelling on Hong Kong Island. “As much as I love the new stadium with air conditioning on, we are now in Kowloon where you need to go elsewhere after the game day for food and drinks. We are so used to getting everything at our finger tips in walking distance back in the days when we were on Hong Kong Island,” Yuen said. “I don’t mind not being able to go to bars and pubs in Wan Chai. Though there are less options near the park, we are creating new traditions so that we can still have a good time enjoying hotpot and beers in a restaurant after the rugby matches. What a great way to celebrate Hong Kong,” she said, referring to a match that ended 31-7 to China. Jackal Yeung Kwok-yung, 38, who works in marketing, opted to do something similar. He headed off to a Thai restaurant in Kowloon City with his five friends after the first day wrapped up. “As much as I enjoy walking from Hong Kong Stadium to Wan Chai with people singing and chanting along the way, I am all for embracing the new normal with Kai Tak [Sports Park] being the main venue for big events,” Yeung said. “Of course we can go back to Hong Kong Island, but everything is new to us. You’ll never know how the traffic situation will be. The vibes will cool down after the commute. You don’t need a bar to have fun with friends. I’d rather save the last day for the after-party in Wan Chai or Causeway Bay as I think most people will do the same.” For years, rowdy spectators leaving Hong Kong Stadium after major sporting events would walk towards Wan Chai’s Lockhart Road to keep the party going late into the night, but businesses in Kai Tak, on the other side of Victoria Harbour, were still hopeful for an influx of new patrons. Torrence Cheng, assistant manager of Hungry Tiger Hidden Dragon Restaurant and Bar located at the fourth floor of the park’s Wellness Centre, said the establishment would extend operating hours until midnight just for rugby fans during the three-day mega-event. “We are prepared for the Sevens and have launched a special menu for food and drinks to capture the opportunity brought by the rugby tournament,” Cheng said. Besides a two-hour special mix free flow at HK$198 (US$25), the eatery also offers a special menu, also priced at HK$198, serving two pints of beer, waffle fries with vanilla lemon sauce, two mini Camembert cheese burgers and fried chicken wings. The bar would also host DJ performances on Friday night, while a dance troupe would entertain diners on Saturday, Cheng said. “Given the lunch hour on Friday was 80 per cent full, I am hopeful that we will have a full house to come in to party after the rugby matches especially on Saturday and Sunday,” he said. Greyhound Cafe outside the main stadium would also extend opening hours till 11pm during the three-day event, manager of the establishment Timothy Lau said. “We’ll see if the crowds are still staying nearby before deciding whether we should extend our operating hours,” said Lau, who had set up a counter selling snacks and beer. He had been selling pints for HK$80 each since opening in the morning. He added the number of patrons was lower on Friday, as anticipated, hoping for a boost in diners on Saturday and Sunday. However, some first timers in Hong Kong had no clue where to go for an after-party. Among them were Shaun Melrose, a 29-year-old New Zealander and his sister, who came to the city to support their home nation. “It’s our first one here. We’re just going to follow the flow. We don’t know much about this place and don’t know where we should go,” the brother said. The brother and sister duo plan to head back to Wan Chai, where their hotel is located for an after-party. They said they were looking forward to the weekend matches. “It’s an impressive stadium, crazy. Beers are everywhere. I have no complaints whatsoever,” Shaun Melrose said. “Things are going to ramp up [on Saturday] for sure.”