The forgotten man of Hong Kong rugby, John Dingley, has been included in a 44-strong training squad for the Asian Rugby Football Tournament.
The Union's selectors have named two squads. The first to prepare for the all-important Asian tournament to be held in Singapore from October 24-31 and the other for the in-bound tour by Western Australia (April) and the Pacific Rim Championships (May-June).
Dingley, who has played a prominent role for Hong Kong in recent years, including in the last Asian tournament, has been out of the limelight this season for Valley due to work commitments, leading to rumours that he would hang up his boots.
But with Hong Kong needing every available and able hand, the backrower has been included.
Hong Kong will play a round-robin competition with Japan, South Korea and Taiwan for one berth in the 1999 World Cup. The winners of this group earn direct entry while the runners-up move into a repechage with losers from Europe, Africa and the Pacific.
Chairman of selectors Ian Brownlee and 15s coach Phil Campbell have stated that the ARFU squad will be training at a lower intensity at the start, though in tandem with the Pac Rim squad, so as to avoid player burnout.