Jockey Club supports Hong Kong Sevens to promote the city’s sports development

02/04/2023 22:15

The Hong Kong Jockey Club offers its warmest congratulations to the Hong Kong Rugby Union on the success of the Hong Kong Sevens, which concluded this evening (2 April) with an awards ceremony at Hong Kong Stadium. Club Chairman Michael Lee was honoured to present the Men’s Shield to Hong Kong, China and to join HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung, Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges and other guests for the presentation of the Men’s Cup to tournament winner – New Zealand. Yesterday Club Deputy Chairman Dr Eric Li also joined the presentation of the Women’s Bowl.

For the second consecutive year, the Club was the Official Community Partner of the Hong Kong Sevens. Over 10,000 people of different ages, abilities and backgrounds enjoyed the fun of sports, including rugby, through a series of Jockey Club Sevens Community Programmes throughout March, culminating in a series of events during the Hong Kong Sevens itself.   

Commenting on the Club’s programmes, Club Chairman Michael Lee said the Hong Kong Sevens was a unique opportunity for students and members of the community to enjoy the excitement of this world famous tournament and to be inspired by the sportsmanship and teamwork of participating teams. Sport is one of the priority areas of the Club’s Charities Trust, being beneficial not only to physical well-being but in cultivating positive attitudes and building social cohesion.

The Jockey Club Sevens Community Programmes kicked off in mid-March with the Jockey Club Elite Athletes Sharing Session: No Boundaries for Sports. Seven local elite athletes from the fields of rugby, horse racing, equestrian sport, football and fencing were invited to share their personal experiences with students and online audiences. Participants were hugely inspired by their stories of perseverance and resilience and how they had learned to embrace and overcome challenges on the road to success.

This was followed by the Jockey Club Sports for All Carnival on 25 March, where 1,000 children enjoyed a fun-filled day focusing on the themes of inclusion, teamwork and leadership. This included the opportunity to try out different sports such as rugby, football, rowing, cricket, as well as emerging sports like pickleball, lacrosse and netball to enhance public interest in various sports activities.  

All this was building up to the Hong Kong Sevens itself, held on 31 March – 2 April at Hong Kong Stadium. For young players from local rugby clubs the absolute highlight was to participate in the Jockey Club Rugby Mini Showcase held across all three mornings. Meanwhile, through the Jockey Club Sevens School Tour and the Jockey Club Sevens Community Experience, students and underprivileged groups, including senior citizens and people with disabilities, were able to experience the action and excitement of the Hong Kong Sevens.

The Club has long been committed to supporting the development of sports in Hong Kong. Over the past decade, it has promoted sport at both community and elite levels through numerous initiatives, encouraging people of all ages and abilities to participate. In support of Hong Kong as a centre for mega-international sporting events, the Club has supported the Hong Kong Masters 2022 and Hong Kong International Tennis Challenge 2022 and will continue to be the Official Community Partner of the Hong Kong Sevens next year.

The Club’s support for these sport events, like all of its charity donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and wagering generate tax and charity support for the community.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2021/22, the Club returned a total of HK$33.6 billion to the community. This included HK$27.0 billion to the Government in duty, profits tax and Lotteries Fund contributions and HK$6.6 billion in approved charity donations.  The Club is Hong Kong's largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world's top ten charity donors. The Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong.

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  HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee (back row, 5th right), Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung (back row, 1st right), Club Chairman Michael Lee (back row, 5th left), Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (back row, 1st left) and other guests at the awards presentation ceremony for the Hong Kong Sevens.