Rugby takes over AT&T Park this weekend for the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018

Wayne Freedman Image
ByWayne Freedman KGO logo
Saturday, July 21, 2018
Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 takes over AT&T Park
If you seek the subtle nuances of international relations, AT&T Park might be a good place to visit this weekend. The home of the San Francisco Giants is hosting the Rugby World Cup Sevens, an international rugby competition.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- If you seek the subtle nuances of international relations, AT&T Park might be a good place to visit this weekend.

The home of the San Francisco Giants is hosting the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018, an international rugby competition. If you don't know, "Rugby sevens" itself is a kind of rugby.

Already lost? That will probably happen if you visit AT&T this weekend.

VIDEO: Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 explained

Everything you wanted to know about Rugby Sevens but were afraid to ask, as the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 takes place in San Francisco.

Conversations on Friday with the international fans who have descended there exposed inconceivable cultural gaps.

"Who is that?" I asked a woman from Ireland as she stood beneath the Willie Mays statue.

"I'm sorry, I don't know."

Linguistic differences were even on display in how the Rugby World Cup Sevens tweets about the event. It's a baseball "pitch"?

"What position did Willie Mays play?" I asked another fan on Friday.

"Hooker?"

I'd love to be able to show you, up close, how the Rugby Sevens World Cup has changed the layout of this already historic baseball stadium, but due to contractual restrictions, ABC7's Sky7 helicopter had to do. As to what's going on down there, Chris Hughes from Aberdeen, Scotland, had this explanation: "There is no padding. We hit each other."

"And then do you go to counseling?" I asked.

"No. Then we go to the pub."

"Round of 16" rugby matches kicked off on Friday, with play scheduled through Sunday. Participating countries include Scotland, South Africa, Fiji, Canada and Russia among others.

For some fans, celebrating just isn't the same in America, where they say our beer is weak, even when consumed form an ox horn. And our sausages? Barely worthy of discussion.

"We eat Boerewors rolls," said Bridget Williams from South Africa.

"Do they have them here?"

"No," Williams said.

"We do have sausages here."

"Not the good ones," she answered.

Well, at least there are the games, even if we can't show them to you.

And the costumes, too. The United Nations has nothing on AT&T this weekend.

If the kilt fits, wear it.

"Are those comfortable?" I asked Chris Hughes of his aforementioned Socttish garb.

"Sometimes."

"Do you know the next question?"

"You mean, do we wear anything underneath?" asked his wife, Lynne, similarly kilted.

"No," said Chris. "And I am not going to show you."