Hello friends! I hope there are still some of you out there who have stuck around. For those of you that have, as always, thank you very much for your patience and interest in what's happening in my little world. Today, we're talking about the rugby 7's and love. They're connected, I swear.
Last weekend Hong Kong hosted their annual Rugby 7's. Like many expat kids, I have been attending the weekend of debauchery since I was about 12 and it has just become a long standing tradition. Every year up until last year, I was up in the stands cheering on our countries and having a good old time. This year, I finally got to go to the elusive South Stand, known for it's drunken rugby fans in crazy costumes, which is exclusively for 18+. So finally at a solid 20 years old, I too got to be a crazy costumed rugby fan.
Me, dressed as a pirate and wielding a beer. (Not moments after my other hand was graced with a hot dog)
Our first love story begins, when I first started going to the Sevens. I had literally zero clue what was going on. Then one day at a school sports fair a friend (then stranger, hi Emma!) asked me if I wanted to join the rugby team. I said yes and ended up playing for a number of years! Best sport I've ever played hands down, but then life got in the way as did the cropping up of anxiety.
It's not a 7s without a dragon dance.
As with many whirlwind romances, my relationship to the sport as a player came to an end. My love of watching still burns as passionately as ever and I continue to go to the Sevens except now I'm 1000% more invested because of my own time on the pitch.
Our second love story begins, when I was 8 years old and started doing after school drama classes. With theatre comes characters and with characters, comes dress up! So for as long as I can remember my little costume box has been filling up and every Sevens weekend I either add to the already over flowing drawers and boxes, or I attempt to make something new.
This year, I finally managed to convince the other half to do matching costumes with me, which leads us on to love story number three.
trying to be cute
omg it's kinda working
ah frick slipped on the chair
give me the phone i goofed
Let's keep love story number three short and sweet. Boy needs to sell an extra 7s ticket. Girl buys 7s ticket. Boy asks Girl if they can hang out at the 7s. Girl drinks one too many glasses of Pimms and kisses Boy. They start dating a few days later and the rest is history.
So, moral of the story, love can be found in a whole bunch of places that you might not expect it. Hell, it might not even be the kind of love you think you're gonna find but then you pick up an egg-shaped ball and make a bunch of amazing friends. You might go and watch a bunch of professionals throw around the same egg-shaped ball and meet a person who wants to scream for the same teams as you.
Whatever it is, the Hong Kong 7s will always be one of my favourite times of the year! x