A rugby tournament featuring university students was held at the Kai Tak Sports Park on Sunday, the first test event at the main stadium there.

Officials described the test event as generally smooth.

Around 10,000 spectators were expected inside the 50,000-strong venue, with free seating and multiple entry and exit allowed.

A number of spectators were unaware of the rule that water bottles were not allowed inside the venue, and had to put them away for temporary storage.

A player from Hang Seng University said he's happy with the experience both on and off the pitch.

"It's good because this is a standard-sized pitch with real grass. We always play on artificial grass, which hurts more when you fall," he told reporters.

"The facilities are also much better at Kai Tak. Say at Kings Park Sports Ground, the changing rooms aren't as big. Here, every team has its own changing room. There's ice for cold therapy, and there's an area for each team member."

A spectator, who works in public relations, said he's glad to make his first visit to the state-of-the-art venue along with many other members of the public, even though the atmosphere at the test event may not be as good as that at the Rugby Sevens.

"This is a really nice venue, different from the Hong Kong Stadium. When you come inside Kai Tak Stadium, you feel that Hong Kong has a world-class stadium. I've been to similar stadiums in other major cities, and now we have our very own," he said.

Security minister Chris Tang and Sports Commissioner George Choi were among the officials on hand to inspect the operations, and they found the arrangements generally smooth.

Going forward, Tang said the authorities will host three more tests involving at least 65,000 people for the main stadium and other venues at the Sports Park.

He said various scenarios will be simulated to get officials ready.

The rugby tournament involved 17 teams, with the games lasting for the whole day.

The Kai Tak main stadium will host the Rugby Sevens in late March.
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Last updated: 2025-01-05 HKT 17:32