At a military prison in central Israel, 18-year-old Itamar Greenberg sat in a US Army-issued army uniform as the Hollywood blockbuster “American Sniper” blared from the rec room’s TV.

But Greenberg is not a soldier, and the desert camouflage fatigues are the only military uniform the so-called refusenik – as conscientious objectors are called in Israel – has ever worn.

Greenberg has been in and out of prison for the last year, serving a total of 197 days over five consecutive sentences. Earlier this month, Greenberg was released from the Neve Tzedek prison for the last time.

His crime? Refusing to enlist after being summoned for military service, which is compulsory for most Jewish Israelis – and some minorities – over the age of 18.

Greenberg said his refusal to serve came as the “culmination of a long process of learning and moral reckoning.”

“The more I learned, the more I knew I couldn’t wear a uniform that symbolizes killing and oppression,” he said, explaining that Israel’s war in Gaza – which was launched after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023 – solidified his decision to refuse.

“There is genocide,” he said. “So we don’t need good reasons (to refuse).”

The Israeli government has vehemently denied accusations that the war in Gaza amounts to genocide against the Palestinian people.

The war, which was reignited last week when Israel resumed airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza after a short-lived ceasefire, has killed over 50,000 Palestinians in 17 months, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Over 670 people have been killed and 1,200 others injured in Gaza since Tuesday alone, when Israel’s military campaign restarted, according to the health ministry there.

“I want this change, and I will give my life for it,” Greenberg said of his decision to serve time in prison rather than serving with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

It’s a decision that conscientious objectors like Greenberg don’t take lightly, as refusing the draft is essentially a choice of ostracization.

In Israel, the military is more than just an institution. It’s part of the social fabric, with military service and secular Jewish-Israeli identity deeply intertwined. And it starts early: From elementary school, students are taught they will one day be the soldiers who will protect children just like them, with soldiers visiting classrooms and schools explicitly encouraging students to enlist. At 16, those children receive their first recruitment orders, culminating with conscription at 18. Many see it as an honor, a duty and a rite of passage.

Greenberg has been called a self-hating Jew, antisemitic, a terrorist supporter, and a traitor, he said – even by family and friends.

“People message me on Instagram and say that they will slaughter me, as Hamas did to Israelis on October 7,” he said.

In prison, Greenberg was placed in solitary confinement after receiving threats from fellow inmates – a move that prison officials told him was “for his safety.”

Despite social ostracization, he – and what a network of organizations supporting conscientious objectors say is a growing number of refuseniks – remain dedicated to the cause.

Their numbers are still exceedingly small. Only a dozen Israeli teens have publicly refused to enlist on conscientious grounds since the start of the war, according to Mesarvot, an organization that supports objectors. But that number is higher than in years prior to the war.

Other groups have been far more vocal than the refuseniks in refusing to take part in Israel’s military tradition. Before the October 7 attacks, thousands of reservists protesting the government’s desire to weaken the judiciary said that they would not show up for service. And for months, the country has been roiled over the conscription of ultra-orthodox men who refuse to enter the military because they are studying in religious schools.

Greenberg’s views are extreme even for the increasingly marginalized Israeli left. The mass protests that have become commonplace since October 7 are not so much against the military or war writ large, but in favor of a ceasefire deal to bring home hostages held in Gaza. But Greenberg and other refuseniks hope that their movement might create space for a more mainstream dialogue on the pitfalls of a militarized society.

“If I join the army, I just will be part of the problem. I personally prefer to be part of the solution,” Greenberg said, noting that he may not live to see it.

On Saturday, around a dozen of those refuseniks met at the headquarters of the left-wing political coalition Hadash to prepare for their weekly demonstration in central Tel Aviv.

Smoking a roll-up cigarette on the balcony of the building with a handful of other conscientious objectors, Lior Fogel, a 19-year-old from Tel Aviv, said she had always had “issues with the army as an institution, based on violence and force,” and managed to get a psychiatrist to sign her off with a mental health condition to get out of service.

Multiple human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have said that Israel’s treatment of Palestinians constitutes apartheid. Israel has denounced that characterization as antisemitic.

“The system of apartheid and the maintenance of this rule that actively oppresses another group cannot be upheld. Not only is it immoral and generally horrible, but it will end up blowing up in your face,” Fogel said.

As Fogel and the others marched to Begin Street to join thousands of people from all walks of society who were demonstrating under an umbrella of pro-democracy and anti-war, she too, acknowledged that the views of the refuseniks remain fringe.

Still, the activists might be meeting their moment.

Rage against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached a fever pitch this week among tens of thousands of protesters who believe he is employing increasingly anti-democratic means to stay in power, and who question what he hopes to achieve with a renewed military campaign that nearly a year and a half of relentless war has not.

Many blame Netanyahu for prioritizing his political survival over the security of his country and say the renewed military campaign grossly endangers the lives of the estimated 24 living hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas and its allies.

The sentiment marks a significant turn in the conflict, and one that refuseniks hope will give Israelis that are considering refusing to serve in protest of the renewed military campaign the power to act – regardless of political persuasion.

“When Israel restarted the fight, a lot of people, not radical or left, but people that support the ceasefire and the hostages can now say, we will refuse – even if they don’t care about the Palestinians,” Greenberg said.

“The refusal is now less taboo. So, they can use this tool that we developed – even though they think that we are crazy and traitors – when they think it’s right,” he added.

Elam said he was hoping his protest would help fellow Israelis to understand that “the pain of Palestinians is the same as Israelis.”

When another attendee of the wider protest heard Elam talking, he interrupted to insist that the teenager’s viewpoint isn’t representative of Israeli society, and said: “That’s not true. He is a minority, and his views don’t represent what everybody else here thinks.”

But others stood by in support of dozens of objectors who chanted “peace, equality, social justice,” and held signs that read “refuse the war, mobilize for peace.”

Rakefet Lapid, whose two children also refused service years before the war, and whose family lives in one of the kibbutz that was attacked by Hamas on October 7 said: “I’m glad they are still some young people willing to say that.”

“But I’m sorry they are a small minority,” she added.

Greenberg said he chose to go public because he “didn’t want to lie.”

While the teen has secured papers from a psychiatrist that say he has mental issues that won’t allow him to serve, he said his reason is not due to his mental health – but his political perspective.

“If I’m going out on my ‘mental issues,’ then it’s like saying to the army: ‘I am the problem, not you,’” he said.

South Korea is struggling to contain wildfires ravaging the country’s southeast after more than two dozen blazes broke out over the weekend, killing four people and forcing thousands to evacuate.

As of Sunday night, nearly 9,000 firefighters, police and civil servants and 120 helicopters had been dispatched to five areas to fight the fires. By Monday morning, firefighters facing the additional challenge of dry and windy conditions had quashed all but four of the blazes.

A spark from a lawn mower started the first wildfire, which ignited Friday afternoon in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang province, about 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of the capital Seoul, according to an Interior Safety Ministry situation report.

Four civil servants dispatched to fight the wildfire were killed, Yonhap news agency reported. As of Monday morning, the fire was not contained and had burned through more than 1,464 hectares (more than 3,600 acres), the Interior Safety Ministry reported.

Wildfires that broke out on Saturday in Euiseong, North Gyeongsang province; the Ulju area of Ulsan city; and Gimhae, South Gyeongsang remained active on Monday.

The fire in Euiseong was started by people paying tribute at a grave, and had torched 6,861 hectares (nearly 17,000 acres) as of Monday morning, according to the report.

More than 2,740 people were forced to evacuate due to the fires, the majority of whom were in shelters as of Monday morning. About 162 buildings have been damaged by the wildfires, including a temple in Euiseong.

On Saturday, then-acting prime minister Choi Sang-mok ordered the forest service “to do everything possible” to evacuate residents and secure the safety of workers fighting fires, according to his office.

The government declared a state of emergency for Ulsan city, South and North Gyeongsang provinces on Saturday.

Wildfires are not unusual in South Korea, particularly in February, March and April when conditions are driest.

Flights returned to normal at London’s Heathrow Airport on Saturday following a power outage and shutdown that sparked global travel chaos.

The first flights of the day took off as scheduled from 6 a.m. local time (2 a.m. ET), after authorities said operations at one of the world’s busiest airports would return to normal.

“Flights have resumed at Heathrow following yesterday’s power outage,” read a statement on Heathrow’s X account, adding that it apologized for the disruption.

The first three flights that left the tarmac were a TAP Air Portugal flight to Lisbon, an Austrian Airlines flight to Vienna, and a Swiss Airlines service to Zurich.

Some flights also took off Friday night as the west London airport, brought to a complete shutdown when fire engulfed a nearby electrical substation, partially reopened.

“We expect to be back in full operation, so 100% operation as a normal day,” Heathrow Airport CEO Thomas Woldbye had said late Friday.

But airlines have warned of delays for days to come, with aircraft and cabin crew having been diverted to different airports, posing deployment problems.

The UK flag carrier British Airways said it expects to operate at around 85% capacity on Saturday, despite normal service resuming at Heathrow.

“To recover an operation of our size after such a significant incident is extremely complex,” it said in a statement, warning customers about possible delays.

“This incident will have a substantial impact on our airline and customers for many days to come, with disruption to journeys expected over the coming days,” said chairman and CEO Sean Doyle.

British utility company National Grid said Saturday morning that power had been restored to “all customers connected to” the affected substation.

Heathrow was the world’s fourth-busiest airport in 2023, according to the most recent data. Last year, a record-breaking 83.9 million passengers passed through. Spread across four terminals, it usually runs at 99% capacity, with every major airline crossing the hub.

The substation blaze happened in the town of Hayes, just a few miles from the airport, which disrupted the local power supply, throwing more than 1,000 flights into disarray and forcing pilots to divert their journeys in midair.

The debacle also raised questions as to why such an important international transit hub appears to lack better contingency plans, including back-up electricity.

A Heathrow Airport spokesperson said “repatriation flights” for passengers diverted to other airports across Europe would be among the first to leave Friday.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the substation blaze. So far, there are no signs of foul play, according to police.

Pope Francis plans to make his first public appearance since he was hospitalized more than a month ago on Sunday, greeting the public from the hospital where he’s being treated for double pneumonia.

The 88-year-old pontiff plans to offer a blessing and greeting to well-wishers from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital at the end of Sunday’s Angelus prayer, the Vatican press office said.

Francis has been in hospital since February 14 and Sunday will be the 38th day since he was admitted.

The pope usually leads the Angelus prayer and offers a reflection each week, but has not done so for the past five Sundays. The Vatican said the written text of the pope’s remarks will be released as has been done previously.

Francis’ current hospitalization has been his longest stay in Gemelli since his election as pope 12 years ago. While he has not been seen in five weeks, his presence has been felt with the Vatican releasing a short audio message from the pope as well as a photo last weekend showing him praying at that hospital’s chapel.

The Vatican said on Wednesday that the pontiff’s condition appeared to be improving, adding that his pneumonia is considered under control. He no longer requires assisted breathing but has been continuing to receive oxygen.

Last week, the pope approved a new three-year reform process for the Catholic Church, sending a strong signal he intends to remain in the post despite his lengthy stint in hospital.

Reforms on the table include how to give greater roles to women in the Catholic Church, including ordaining them as deacons, and the greater inclusion of non-clergy members in governance and decision making.

While the latest medical updates from the Vatican have spoken of improvement, it has not released any details on when the pontiff might be released from hospital and it is not yet clear if he will be out in time for Holy Week and Easter.

The Israeli air force says it struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in response to cross-border rocket fire in the most significant flare-up of tensions since a ceasefire brought uneasy calm to the region.

Israel and Hezbollah exchanged cross-border attacks for 13 months in the wake of the Gaza conflict before Israel launched an intense ground and aerial campaign in September last year, decimating the Iran-backed militant group’s leadership.

The Israeli strikes followed artillery and tank shelling of positions inside Lebanon, and it came after sirens echoed across northern Israel, as the military detected five projectiles had been fired at the country. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), three were intercepted by the country’s air force and two fell inside Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the IDF to take “robust action against dozens of terror targets.”

“Israel will not allow any harm to its citizens or its sovereignty,” Netanyahu said.

The Lebanese military said it had found and dismantled “three primitive rocket launchers in the area north of the Litani River,” as it carried out investigations following the incident. It was not immediately clear who was behind the rocket fire into Israel.

The UN’s peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, said it was “alarmed” by the Saturday morning escalation in violence, calling on all sides to “uphold their commitments.

“We strongly urge all parties to avoid jeopardizing the progress made, especially when civilian lives and the fragile stability observed in recent months are at risk,” it said in a statement. “Any further escalation of this volatile situation could have serious consequences for the region.”

Israeli defense minister, Israel Katz, blamed the Lebanese government for cross-border attacks and vowed to retaliate.

“We promised security to the Galilee communities – and that is exactly what will happen,” Katz said in a statement Saturday, referring to inhabitants of northern Israel.

The Lebanese presidency condemned “attempts to drag once again into a cycle of violence,” saying President Joseph Aoun had instructed the army to protect the country’s citizens, as well as investigate the Saturday morning incident.

Israel continues to maintain a military presence at five locations in the south of Lebanon, despite agreeing to withdraw as part of a ceasefire deal, struck in November last year.

The deal brought a significant reduction in more than a year of cross-border strikes and put an end to months of a full-scale war.

The last time Israel accused the Lebanese armed group of firing projectiles across the border was in early December.

Escalation in the north comes after Israel restarted military operations in Gaza earlier in the week, putting an end to a fragile truce that had largely held since January.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

The biggest obstacle to resolving Russia’s war in Ukraine is the status of Crimea and the four mainland Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia, said US special envoy Steve Witkoff, calling them “the elephant in the room” in peace talks.

In a long interview with podcast host Tucker Carlson, Witkoff – who also revealed Russia’s President Putin had commissioned a portrait of Donald Trump and sent it to him – said the administration was making progress “that no one thought was possible” with Russia, but that issues of territory still need ironing out.

The four mainland regions, which Witkoff appeared to struggle to name and needed prompting from Carlson, were illegally annexed during Russia’s full-scale invasion and Kyiv vehemently opposes giving them up.

The Kremlin has since staged referenda on joining Russia in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, which Kyiv and the international community decried as a propaganda exercise, but which Witkoff claimed was evidence of their desire to split from Ukraine.

“They’re Russian-speaking,” Witkoff said of the four eastern regions. “There have been referendums where the overwhelming majority of the people have indicated that they want to be under Russian rule.”

Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy who also plays a key role in talks with Russia, said the “constitutional issues within Ukraine as to what they can concede… with regard to territory” had become “the elephant in the room” during negotiations. Talks are set to resume Monday in Saudi Arabia, with US officials set to meet officials from both Russia and Ukraine.

“The Russians are de facto in control of these territories. The question is: Will the world acknowledge that those are Russian territories?” Witkoff asked. “Can (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky survive politically if he acknowledges this? This is the central issue in the conflict.”

Zelensky stressed last weekend that Ukraine’s position “is that we do not recognize the occupied Ukrainian territories as Russian.”

The US raised the issue during talks with Ukrainian delegates in the Saudi city of Jeddah, Zelensky said, adding that he hopes the question can be resolved during later peace talks, rather than discussions over an initial ceasefire. “It is dragging out the process for a long, long time,” he said.

‘Gracious’ Putin

Witkoff said he was impressed by how “gracious” the Russian leader has been during the pair’s discussions, praising him as “smart” and “straightforward.”

Before meeting Putin in Moscow, Witkoff said someone in the Trump administration warned him to “watch it, because he’s an ex-KGB guy,” referring to Putin’s former career in the Soviet Union’s security agency.

Witkoff said he downplayed the person’s fears, saying Putin’s background in the agency was a measure of his intelligence. “In the old days, the only people who went into the KGB were the smartest people in the nation… He’s a super smart guy,” he recalled saying.

“I don’t regard Putin as a bad guy,” Witkoff said, saying it was “gracious” of the Russian leader to receive him in Moscow for talks earlier this month.

That meeting “got personal,” he said, recalling how Putin “had commissioned a beautiful portrait of President Trump from the leading Russian artist,” which Witkoff took home to the president.

Witkoff said also that, following the assassination attempt against Trump in September, Putin said that he “went to his local church and met with his priest and prayed” for Trump, “not because he… could become the president of the United States, but because he had a friendship with him.”

Trump was “clearly touched” by Putin’s story and the portrait, Witkoff said.

Witkoff implied that resolving the war in Ukraine could lead to cooperation on a broader range of issues, and that the two sides were thinking about “integrating their energy policies in the Arctic,” sharing sea lanes, collaborating on artificial intelligence and sending liquefied natural gas “into Europe together.”

“Who doesn’t want to have a world where Russia and the United States are doing, collaboratively, good things together?” he asked.

Pope Francis will be discharged on Sunday from the hospital where he has spent more than a month being treated for double pneumonia, Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the head of the team taking care of the pontiff announced.

“The Holy Father will be discharged from tomorrow in stable clinical condition with a prescription to partially continue drug therapy and a convalescence and rest period of at least two months,” Alfieri told reporters at a news conference at Gemelli on Saturday.

“Today we are happy to say that tomorrow he will be at home,” he added.

Francis has been in hospital since February 14.

The pontiff is also expected to also make his first public appearance on Sunday at the hospital’s balcony before making his way back to the Casa Santa Marta, his residence since the 2013 conclave, according to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni.

The 88-year-old pontiff will offer a blessing and greeting to well-wishers at the end of Sunday’s Angelus prayer, the Vatican press office said earlier on Saturday. Francis usually leads the prayer and offers a reflection each week, but has not done so for the past five Sundays.

The pope’s hospitalization has been his longest stay in Gemelli since his election 12 years ago. While he has not been seen in weeks, his presence has been felt with the Vatican releasing a short audio message from the pope as well as a photo last weekend showing him praying at that hospital’s chapel.

News of his discharge comes after the Vatican said this week that the Pope’s condition appeared to be improving, adding that his pneumonia is considered under control.

Last week, the pope approved a new three-year reform process for the Catholic Church, sending a strong signal he intends to remain in the post despite his lengthy stint in hospital.

Reforms on the table include how to give greater roles to women in the Catholic Church, including ordaining them as deacons, and the greater inclusion of non-clergy members in governance and decision making.

Iceland’s minister for children and education has resigned after admitting she had a child with a teenager more than three and a half decades ago, according to Icelandic media.

Ásthildur Lóa Thórsdóttir revealed that she had started a relationship with a 15-year-old boy when she was 22 and had a son with him, Iceland’s public broadcaster RUV reported on Thursday.

Thórsdóttir met the boy while working as a counselor for a religious group, the Icelandic broadcaster said, before giving birth to his child when she was 23 and he was 16.

The age of consent is 15, according to the country’s penal code. However, it is illegal for adults to have sexual relations with a child under 18 if they are entrusted to teach them, with perpetrators facing up to 12 years in prison.

The father told RUV he had never seen himself as a victim in this situation, but noted that he was in a difficult place in his life and at home turned to the church group for support.

Iceland’s public broadcaster reported that the relationship was kept secret but that the father was present for the birth of his child and initially allowed contact, but nearly all access was cut off before his son turned 1.

He was however required to pay child support for 18 years.

The young father sought assistance from the Ministry of Justice and the church’s family service to see his child, but Thórsdóttir refused him visitation rights, according to Iceland’s public broadcaster.

Shortly after RUV’s report on Thursday, Thórsdóttir resigned from her ministerial position, the public broadcaster said. She will continue to represent the People’s Party as a member of parliament.

Iceland’s prime minister said Thórsdóttir had met with the country’s three party leaders but it had been her decision to resign, according to RUV.

“We discussed the options together and heard her account of the matter in detail for the first time at that meeting,” Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir said at a news conference Friday, RUV reported. The leader reiterated that Thórsdóttir had swiftly taken responsibility by resigning.

“Of course, this is an unfortunate matter, but it has nothing to do with our work,” Frostadóttir said, adding that the prime minister’s office had not finished investigating the matter since it was brought to their attention a week ago.

Raucous, lightning-paced and brimming with eye-catching fan costumes, the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens is like no other sporting spectacle.

Each spring since 1982, for one rowdy weekend, Hong Kong Stadium – nestled among skyscrapers and lush jungle, and just a lofted drop-kick from the city’s fabled nightlife – has transformed into the Asian financial hub’s biggest and wildest party.

Rugby enthusiasts from all over the world make the pilgrimage to the Hong Kong tournament, the jewel in the crown of the World Rugby Sevens Series circuit – which showcases the shorter, faster and higher-octane version of the traditional 15-a-side game.

It draws teams from rugby powerhouses such as New Zealand, South Africa and Fiji, yet the appeal is never just about the sport. With its carnival atmosphere and legendary party spirit, the three-day event joins other Asian showpieces such as the Singapore Grand Prix and Australian Open in drawing tourists and business travelers alike.

“It’s probably the most fun event that Hong Kong does throughout the year. It’s where everyone comes to party,” said Bill Coker, a 33-year-old teacher and Sevens regular.

This year, however, the revelry will unfold against a very different backdrop.

After more than four decades in the heart of Hong Kong Island, the Sevens is moving across the harbor into a flashy new home on the city’s Kowloon peninsula: a shimmering, 50,000-seat stadium in the brand-new Kai Tak Sports Park.

Officially opened this month, and due to host rock band Coldplay for four nights in April, the sprawling waterfront complex is part of Hong Kong’s bid to reclaim its status as Asia’s premier destination for mega-events, after losing out to rival cities like Singapore and Tokyo in attracting some of the world’s biggest stars.

The nearly $4 billion project is central to Hong Kong’s efforts to revive its economy and international image, following years of stringent pandemic restrictions and a sweeping national security crackdown that fueled an exodus of foreign workers, local professionals and global companies.

John Lee, the city’s leader, hailed the new venue as “a state-of-the-art new stage of Hong Kong.” “Like this very stadium’s retractable roof, the sky is the limit,” he declared at a star-studded opening ceremony.

The new stadium is significantly more spacious, glamorous and high-tech than its dated predecessor, boasting spectacular views of Victoria Harbor and the city’s skyline. Yet, it also sits further from downtown.

While many fans and players are excited about the new venue – designed specifically to enhance the rugby experience – one lingering question remains: Can it preserve the party spirit that has long defined the Hong Kong Sevens?

“Everyone knows that the bar’s going to be pretty high to get that aura it’s created over the years. It’s about whether that aura is passed on from the old stadium,” said former New Zealand captain and sevens Hall of Famer DJ Forbes. “I’m sure everyone – the South Stand in particular – will be doing their best to make the players feel that vibe and energy. It will be interesting to see how it pans out.”

State-of-the-art stadium

Sitting on the former site of Hong Kong’s iconic old airport, the Kai Tak Stadium shimmers with shades from blue and purple to silver depending on the angles, thanks to a facade of 27,000 self-cleaning aluminum panels.

With its retractable roof, configurable seating and adaptable pitch – which will be stored in the neighboring mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen when not in use – the stadium can accommodate a wide range of sports and entertainment events. Yet, at its core, it was purpose-built for rugby, with the goal of heightening the intense, electric atmosphere that defines the Sevens, said Paul Henry, a senior principal at Populous, the architecture firm behind the sports park.

“We’ve designed more rugby stadiums than anyone else in the world, and the most important thing with rugby is: how close can we get everyone to the action on the field?” Henry said.

To achieve this, the design team optimized the geometry of the stadium, giving each seat enough space while wrapping them as tightly around the pitch as possible. “What that translates to is great noise, great atmosphere, and that’s what matters,” he said. (The seats also come with individual air-conditioning outlets underneath, a welcome relief during Hong Kong’s unforgiving summers.)

Another way to intensify the audience experience is by containing and amplifying crowd noise. The stadium’s retractable roof – which can open and close fully within 30 minutes – is engineered with the highest level of acoustic insulation the firm has ever incorporated. “As soon as you close the roof, the noise stays in, and the atmosphere just gets elevated,” Henry said.

“The atmosphere is going to be crazy,” said Cado Lee, one of Hong Kong’s most experienced men’s players, after touring the stadium. “I think it’ll all hit us when we run out onto the field and see everyone in the packed stands.”

The players were equally impressed by the stadium’s 20 changing rooms each equipped with physiotherapy facilities and video analysis tools.

All about the party

For the new stadium’s designers, the trick to replicating the party spirit of past Sevens tournaments hinged on faithfully recreating the infamous South Stand – a designated zone for hardcore revelers at the old stadium.

There, spectators competed to outdo one another with outrageous costumes and copious amounts of booze. Sudden showers of beer, cider, and other mysterious fluids became as integral to the vibe as the deafening roar of the crowd. At night, after the final whistle was blown, thousands of jubilant fans poured into the streets, heading toward the city’s bars to continue the debauchery, sometimes till dawn.

Even the players couldn’t resist the infectious energy. “It’s definitely more of a party – with some rugby involved,” said Christy Cheng, former captain for the Hong Kong Women’s Sevens.

At the Kai Tak Stadium, the new South Stand features the exact same seating capacity and nearly identical entrance ways. But instead of the familiar green hillside backdrop of the old open-air stadium, the new South Stand is framed by a sweeping glass curtain wall that offers panoramic views of the harbor and the Hong Kong skyline.

It is against this towering vista that bands, including the UK’s Kaiser Chiefs, will take the stage in between the matches, on a vast terrace just above the stand. Bridging the North and South stands is a 100-meter-long drinks service station dubbed “Asia’s longest bar,” designed to ease the notoriously long queues as fans scramble for top-ups between games.

“It will be familiar, but it will be amplified so much more,” Henry said of the new party vibe.

For some, that promise remains the Sevens’ biggest allure. “I only ever go to the South Stand,” said Dalton Huskins, who has been five times. “In all honesty, I’m not a huge rugby fan, but when the Sevens comes around, I’m like: I can take an interest in rugby for a few days,” said the 32-year-old, who plans to show up this year dressed as a “sexy farmer.”

Local hero Salom Yiu, Hong Kong’s longest-serving Rugby Sevens player, relishes what will be a rare experience as a spectator after his emotional retirement from the sport at last year’s edition.

“I’ve actually never been to the South Stand in my life, even after 14 years of competing in this tournament, so this time will be my first. I really want to feel the party spirit,” he said.

James Farndon, chief executive of Hong Kong China Rugby, the event’s main organizer, said he expected “all of the traditions and atmosphere of the Sevens to not just continue but to be amplified by the state-of-the-art venue at Kai Tak.”

“At the same time we are also very excited to see what new traditions are created by the fans inside the stadium this year.”

But what about the after-party?

For many fans and players alike, the Sevens isn’t just about what happens on the field – it’s also about what comes after. The post-match revelry has long been a big part of the tournament’s charm.

Coker, the teacher and a South Stand regular, recalled how the shared journey from the stadium to bars in the nearby Wan Chai district was an experience in itself. “It was really nice because you had thousands of people walking out of the stadium together. Everyone was singing, everyone was in good spirits, and they were all going towards Wan Chai,” he said.

Players felt the same way. “At the previous stadium, we could go straight to the party districts easily. But here, how will they make up for it?” wondered Yiu, the local Sevens legend.

The 28-hectare sports park, which includes a mall and a hotel, boasts dozens of restaurants popular with local families and friends on weekends, yet few can rival the high-energy, late-night revelry of the downtown bar strips.

To add to the festive spirit, pop-up food and beer stalls will line the “fan village,” an outdoor space just outside the stadium, during the tournament. But with a closing time of 11 p.m., they may wind down just as the night is getting started for diehard revelers.

Nevertheless, with or without the after-party, this year’s Sevens is set to carry forward a nearly half-century-old tradition.

“The Sevens is one of the reasons why rugby is so big in Hong Kong. People you meet from back home fly in for it, because everyone has heard about it,” said Luke Linssner, who has been playing rugby since he was nine.

For Cheng, the former captain, the Hong Kong Sevens will always hold a special place – with its sea of costumes and unmatched sense of fun.

“That’s what sports is all about – to be able to bring people together and create that magical atmosphere together,” she said. “I really look forward to making new memories.”