HSBC SVNS: Not all the heroes in Hong Kong lifted silverware or wore capes

Lifting trophies will never lose its appeal for Sarah Hirini and Santiago Mare, the respective captains of New Zealand women's and Argentina men's teams.

Just like at Vancouver SVNS in the previous round, they led their countries to victory at the Cathay/HSBC SVNS tournament in Hong Kong.

The Black Ferns Sevens gained two more points on Australia to lead the series by eight points ahead of the sixth event in Singapore on 5 and 6 April, while Los Pumas are 12 points in front of Fiji in the men's standings.

The stunning Kai Tak Stadium played host to 64 games across three days and, if the players' comments on the atmosphere at the new venue are anything to go by, Hong Kong Sevens' new home has become an instant favourite.

The partying of the old Hong Kong Stadium's South Stand survived the trip across the bay to the new venue. The fancy-dress outfits were just as outrageous, the feel-good vibe just as strong.

The Aussies in the stand won't forget seeing Sidney Harvey, only 19, touch down in front of them to win to clinch a last-gasp 22-21 win over Fiji and bronze for his country. Harvey's face was a picture, part joy, part amazement, and the moment so perfectly captured how exhilarating rugby sevens can be.

Another came in defeat. Trailing to four Maddison Levi tries for a young Australian team, Taylor Perry stretched over the line to score her first try for Canada. She subsequently sprung to her feet to celebrate with team-mate Carissa Norsten. That her team still trailed by 11 points with time running out scarcely mattered - that look of delight to have scored for her country, that pride at doing so at an iconic competition, was so powerful.

A ninth-place semi-final might not ordinarily quicken the pulse, but try telling that to China's women's team. Tied 19-19 with Great Britain at full-time, the match entered the golden point period. China had already coped with having a player sin-binned in both halves and they had to defend with all their might in the additional period when again they were reduced to six players.

But somehow they survived the onslaught, and when Wang Wanyu broke the British line to run in on the corner for a 24-19 triumph it must have felt just about as good as winning the tournament itself. Some of the China players wept with joy. It was a monumental effort.

And what about some of the sprinters on display? Levi broke new ground over the weekend, scoring a record 14 tries at a single Hong Kong tournament and surpassing Charlotte Caslick as her country's all-time top try scorer on 191. She has all the individual attributes - speed, vision, balance, courage - and could surely excel in solo sports such as sprinting, but the Australian star comes across as a team player at heart. Rugby sevens is lucky to have her.

Brazil's Thalia Costa and gold medal winner Michaela Brake are two others who can light up a stadium with their pace. The little Brazilian got the better of the sport's all-time top try scorer in a foot race as Brake bore down on the try line in the Black Ferns' 29-7 win in the pool stage. The crowd rose when they saw who of all people was on Brake's tail. Predictably, Brake did score moments later.

So many little vignettes come to mind from the weekend - the sheer glee of Kenya's Patrick Odongo Okong'o when running with ball in hand, the Fijians' one-handed pick-ups and telescopic offloads, the posts turning green at a successful conversion, the children's delight at seeing themselves on the Kai Tak's massive screens, young Blitzbok Gino Cupido bounding across the turf, Alejandro Laforga's brilliant dummy at the base of the Spanish scrum to scramble British minds.

Not every player gets to lift the trophy, but the athletes who crossed the white line to represent their countries created memories, new ones in a new stadium, all the same. Thankfully, it's not long until Singapore.