The highly anticipated Hong Kong Sevens will return to the city on the weekend of 28-30 March 2025, as announced by World Rugby. The event will be one of five confirmed stops in the 2024-25 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, with Dubai kicking off the season in just ten weeks' time.
The remaining schedule sees the series move to South Africa, Australia, and Canada before concluding in Hong Kong. The full eight-stop calendar for the season is expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.
Officials are hopeful that the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens will be held at the brand-new Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP), with the stadium expected to be ready by the end of 2024. A test event is pencilled in for January 2025 to assess the venue's readiness.
James Farndon, CEO of Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR), confirmed that they are working closely with the KTSP team to make this happen, and further details will be released as they become available.
Ticket details are set to be confirmed in September, with tickets going on sale in November, HKCR announced.
While Hong Kong's men's and women's teams are not part of the World Series, they are expected to compete in the invitational Melrose Claymores competition over the Sevens weekend.
Several new teams will be participating in the main tournament, including China's women, who recently secured promotion to the elite level. Kenya and Uruguay are also set to make their debut in the men's competition.
The first leg of the series will be hosted at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai from 30 November to 1 December, followed by the DHL Stadium in Cape Town the subsequent weekend. The third round will take place at HBF Park in Perth, Australia, from 24 to 26 January, with Vancouver hosting the fourth leg on 21-23 February.
World Rugby is aiming to build upon the success of rugby sevens at the Paris Olympics, where France triumphed in the men's event and New Zealand in the women's.
"We are announcing the first destinations now to allow fans to mark their calendars and get prepared to see the stars of the Olympics shine again in some of the world's most iconic stadiums and destinations, with the dates for the remaining exciting destinations to be confirmed soon," said Sam Pinder, World Rugby Sevens General Manager.