Sevens seen: women in the Lion’s Den (at last), and don’t forget to tip your taxi driver this weekend
The exclusive Carbine Club Lunch was a hit with its new female members ahead of the tournament
They included Springboks Jean de Villiers, John Smit and Mornay du Plessis, and former Lions Andy Nicol, Warren Gatland, Lawrence Dallagio, Andy Hall, Peter Wheeler and Ieuan Evans.
Marketing specialist Mary Covatta, who was enjoying her first Carbine experience, said: “I speak three languages – English, Italian and sports humour.”
“My daughters grew up in Hong Kong and one has three caps for England and one may well play for Hong Kong , so I’m enjoying today’s rugby banter,” said teacher Christine Hood.
‘My husband is the corporate handbag. I got the job first in Hong Kong, I love a rugby lunch,” said another well turned-out corporate.
Ceryn Fisk-Jones, wife of one of the Carbine Club speakers and former international Robert Fisk-Jones said: “I was working for a sports tour operator when I met Robert in Argentina. I am well used to rugby humour. The Welsh are never embarrassed.”
Proferring some sage advice from his wife, he added: “If you worry about coming second, you’ll forget to come first.”
The lunch was not a short one, most having put a red line in the diary designating high noon as the beginning of the Sevens weekend. There were stories to which “Kai Tak Rules” apply, possibly unprintable.
One of the Carbine head honchos said: “This is an environmental lunch, even the jokes are recycled.”
Taxi service with a smile
Hong Kong has 40,000 taxi drivers who are up in arms over another 30,000 trying to “steal” their business working for “illegal” ride-sharing service Uber.
The drivers are even more disgruntled than usual and have even threatened to sue the government if it legalises ride-sharing services.
We found one, though. Ah Luk is old–school and aboard his trusty red Toyota Crown, it’s all about passenger service.
“The destination is always decided by the passenger,” he says with a smile and a demeanour that is clearly intent on service.
“I must drive about 40 times every Sevens to the “dai kai cheung” (Hong Kong stadium),” he laughed. “In between, I stop to eat a lunchbox and use a public toilet.”
Ah Luk has been driving a taxi for 10 years, and there’s no Kangaroo accelerator for this cabby, who knows what the brake pedal and accelerator are for, and when to use them.
“The rugby sevens passengers are very talkative and like to tell me all about the rugby. They have very joyful manners. I like the special costumes, whether they are in fancy dress or decorate their faces.”
Don’t forget to tip. Even though the licence plate is worth HK$7 million, most drivers are merely renting the cab and work all hours of the day.