willie john

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Very disappointed once again that Ireland will not be sending a team to this year´s Hong Kong Sevens. It must be 8 years since the Emerald Isle was represented at THE tournament of the IRB SEVENS SERIES. When you look at the success England have had there in recent years and what it has done for their development side, it seems absolutely ludicrous that Ireland dont get their act together and join this circuit. Considering the Hong Kong Sevens is such a party from the first whistle on Friday afternoon til the last on Sunday evening, and with us Irish being renowned for enjoying the odd tipple, you would have thought the powers that be would at least send some form of a team to what is surely the main event of the IRB SEVENS series. I was in Dubai at the beginning of December, and that tournament seems to be quickly catching the Hong Kong equivalent in terms of popularity. It was completely sold out in advance, but I managed to secure tickets at a very reasonable price from a company called MANCUNIAN TICKETS (you can find them at www.mancuniantickets.com).
30000 fans, 75% of which were bleary-eyed by the final whistle watched 2 days of spectacular rugby in the desert. New Zealand beat Fiji in a thrilling final, but the standard of the rugby over the 2 days, especially from the so-called minnows, was a joy to watch, not to mention the party that was going on on the sidelines. I am very much looking forward to the 2008 Hong Kong Sevens, Mancunian Tickets have taken care of our tickets again, and although there will be no Irish team, I shall indulge myself and enjoy the rugby.

Willie John