They say: This city has something for everyone! , a group of foreigners who love Shanghai, a rugby match
In recent years, Shanghai has taken a more active and open attitude, optimizing the "soft environment" and creating a "hard platform" to support overseas talents to find employment and start businesses in Shanghai. Not only do they "stay" in Shanghai, they also love Shanghai, build Shanghai, and pursue their dreams of Shanghai.
Among all the "soft environments" that attract them to stay, one must be indispensable - Shanghai's sports environment. On June 9th, the 4th Shanghai Municipal Sports Meet, Shanghai Foreign Friends Fitness Series, China 10-a-side Rugby Association Cup·"Shanghai Cup" 10-a-side Open and "Healthy Yangpu Everyone Comes to Show" Yangpu District No. 4 The 2018 Sports Games kicked off, and hundreds of foreign rugby fans living in China gathered together to enjoy their "annual party." During the interviews, the most common story I heard from these foreigners was how the sport of rugby and the strong rugby atmosphere in Shanghai helped them quickly adapt, understand, and fall in love with this city.
"I have been playing rugby for 18 years and it has always been a big part of my life. It has given me opportunities, it has given me memories and it has given me lifelong friendships. In my hometown, the sport is so popular and everywhere I can play it all, and I feel very happy that I can continue my rugby hobby in Shanghai." Ronan Jones from the UK has been living in Shanghai for three years. He is engaged in the education industry and is also the captain of the Shanghai Longyin Rugby Club.
Like Ronan, the foreigners participating in the game that day were all rugby amateurs—among them were white-collar workers from foreign companies, executives, teachers, and entrepreneurs living in Shanghai. Although the competition and the participants were all amateurs, the reporter was able to immerse himself in the passionate rugby culture at the competition site and around them.
The game has not yet started, and the fans on the sidelines can't wait to start a pre-game carnival. Those are the friends and family members of the team members. Their passionate shouts, high flags, and beating music all constitute important elements of the prelude to the game. It seems that they are more like the protagonists of the whole game. The stadium gradually turned into a huge carnival venue, where people danced, cheered and expressed their support for the team.
Looking at the field, the team members showed a sense of professional ritual and professionalism: they warmed up uniformly before the game, as if they were warming up for the game; the team members gathered around and gave deafening cheers, which quickly aggravated the tense atmosphere; the game At that time, there was fierce physical confrontation on the field, and every attack and every score was accompanied by the deafening cheers of the fans. The sound was like a strong wind, blowing the entire stadium to a fever pitch. At the end of each game, the winning team will take the initiative to stand in two rows and give high-fives and hugs to the losing team. The reporter even discovered that each team seemed to have its own unique culture, either advocating openness and radicalness, or being known for stability... It was like bunches of different fireworks blooming on the field, turning the rugby match into a passionate symphony .
We are rivals on the field, friends off the field, and rugby is the bond that connects people. “When I first arrived in Shanghai, I didn’t know anyone. Fortunately, I found a rugby club and joined it. I quickly received help and new friends provided me with accommodation, which made my transitional days more enjoyable. It’s much easier!” Ronan told reporters that being a member of the rugby club is not only about playing with people who share the same hobby, but also building a close community, like a big family, “We get together every week. Together, our relationship goes far beyond mere teammates. We always support and help each other as much as possible." You can see that players from different teams and their relatives and friends came to the food corner next to the stadium to hold parties during the game. , the player holding the ball raised the beer glass. The topic can be about the world, astronomy and geography, past and present, fashion gossip, rugby games, or game quizzes. Choose what you like to join. Large and small tents were also professionally set up at the site. The tents were equipped with dining areas, medical areas, and gift distribution areas. It not only protects the health of athletes, but also provides a series of fine wines and delicacies such as barbecue, hot dogs, beer, etc. The organizers of the competition know that this is not only a competition, but also their lifestyle and social form.
"Shanghai is a vibrant and dynamic city, and rugby is also booming here. I am always happy to come to Shanghai to compete. I am now considering moving here soon." John, a South African, is a member of the Yiwu Broncos. , in his opinion, rugby provides him with a good way to understand Shanghai culture and lifestyle here, “I think this city combines traditional Chinese culture and modernization, and living and working here is undoubtedly a It’s exciting.” There are many foreigners who feel the same as John, “I think Shanghai is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and its diverse lifestyle is amazing, and joining the Shanghai rugby team is a great way to understand this. A great way to explore the city,” American Kayla concluded, “Shanghai is suitable for everyone!”
A small rugby match is also the epitome of Shanghai polishing the city’s sports business card!
As we all know, after building an international financial center and an international technological innovation center, Shanghai has a new business card - building a world-famous sports city. Using sports as a medium and events as a lever to stimulate enthusiasm for sports consumption, leverage the development of the sports industry, and promote the improvement of the city's energy level, Shanghai has taken all actions.
In recent years, various international, high-level, and high-standard large-scale events have been launched one after another. This year, for example, in addition to the Olympic Qualification Series that was held in Shanghai for the first time, there was also the F1 Chinese Grand Prix that returned to Shanghai after five years, and Shanghai ATP1000 Masters, Shanghai Global Equestrian Championship, World Snooker Shanghai Masters and other top events. It can be said to have ignited the blood and passion of sports fans around the world, reflected the world's recognition of Shanghai's ability and level in hosting games, and also brought new opportunities to the development of Shanghai.
On the one hand, Shanghai continues to actively strive to host various world-class events and activities, and continues to increase investment in the sports industry; on the other hand, it also promotes event hosting with innovative thinking based on local resources and characteristics. Therefore, in the list of sports events in Shanghai, we can not only see the well-known "Sanshang" brand - the Shanghai Marathon, which measures the excitement of the city with footsteps, and the Shanghai Rowing Open, which uses rowing as a carrier to vividly demonstrate the effectiveness of Suzhou River management competition, as well as the 2024 Shanghai Sailing Open, which benchmarks internationally renowned sailing events such as the America's Cup and the International Sailing Grand Prix; we can also see "small but strong" independent brand events such as the "Shanghai Cup" Ten-a-side Open. Integrating local elements into sports events and creating unique IP will help expand sports economic scenarios and form differentiated competitive advantages. From major competitions to small competitions, from watching games to participating in competitions, people from all over the world living in Shanghai are deeply integrated into various sports consumption scenarios, enjoying the joy of sports and improving their happiness in life.
