A revised format sees only six teams automatically qualify for the Cup competition - the winners of each preliminary pool, which in Hong Kong's Pool F, should be booked by seven-time Cup champions Fiji.

The remaining two Cup berths will go to the best two second-placed finishers with the best records.

'It is going to be tough, but I reckon we can defeat Tonga,' said Isi Tu'ivai, a leading member of the Hong Kong sevens team, last night.

The Tongan-born Tu'ivai was not part of the territory's set-up back in 1992 when Hong Kong registered their only win over Tonga at the Hong Kong Sevens, scraping through 12-8 at a rain-drenched Hong Kong Stadium to win the Plate title.

Tu'ivai, however, was a member of the side which lost last year to the physically imposing Tongans in the preliminary pool and is eager for another crack at them.

'We have had enough of playing in the Bowl and Plate competitions. We want to play in the Cup,' said Tu'ivai. Hong Kong have won the Bowl title at the last two tournaments, ending in this competition for preliminary round losers despite defeating Scotland (1994) and France (1995).

Tu'ivai said the inability to sustain such performances was due to the lack of enough tough games for the territory's sevens squad in the past.

This time, however, Hong Kong will be better prepared as they will be playing in the highly-competitive Fiji Sevens on March 14-15.

'We have got to play hard rugby day in, day out. We don't get this here, but at least the Fiji Sevens will help us. Participating in this tournament is the best thing that can happen to us,' said Tu'ivai.

Hong Kong's build-up to sevens this season has seen the territory participate at the Taiwan Sevens last October. They won the Plate, defeating USA in the final.

'We have the team with the potential to win something of note and hopefully we can carry on from here,' said Hong Kong Sevens captain Rodney McIntosh after the Taiwan campaign.

For the first time in the history of the Hong Kong Sevens, the tournament will be played over three days with 12 preliminary round matches scheduled for the Friday.

Hong Kong's crunch game against Tonga will bring the curtain down on Friday night. The second day will see the balance of 24 pool games being played. Sunday will see the knockout stage of the competition.

Hong Kong rugby officials were upbeat and confident that the new format of four teams in six groups would be a success.

'We are treating this as an experiment. The new format has resulted in stronger pools which will enhance the competitiveness of the early rounds,' said Stuart Leckie, HKRFU chairman.

All the Five Nations sides will for the first time, be making an appearance together. This is simply because they are treating this year's Hong Kong Sevens as a warm-up for the second World Cup Sevens which the territory hosts in March 1997.

Yesterday's draw was conducted with all the razzmatazz of pop music and disco-dancing models, who were showing off the new line of Sevens apparel which will be available to the public soon.