Scotland and Ireland were among 23 teams confirmed for the 1999 Hong Kong Sevens, but England's decision to snub the tournament has left organisers looking for a side to fill 24th spot in the world-famous rugby extravaganza. With none of the four Home Unions playing in this year's Sevens, Hong Kong Rugby Football Union officials are more than satisfied with the Scottish and Irish presence in the tournament. 'We're very happy that they are coming back,' said HKRFU commercial director David Roberts. 'It's good to see more of the Five Nations teams taking part.' Roberts declined to say which teams were being lined up to fill the place made available by England's decision not to accept their invitation. 'We've got an idea and we've made some approaches, but at this stage it wouldn't really be fair on the people we have contacted to say who they are,' Roberts added. Roberts said the HKRFU was aware of Five Nations commitments but still expected the Scots and Irish to be well-represented. 'There are plenty of good players in both countries. Although I think they probably see this tournament as a good opportunity to blood young players, they'll definitely be competitive,' he added. The heavyweight sevens sides - New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Australia and South Africa - will all be back for next year's event, which will be held at the Hong Kong Stadium from March 26-28. So, too, will China, who made a successful debut in this year's tournament. Added interest next year will be generated by the presence for the first time of Croatia and Uruguay. The Croatians, who are likely to have former All Black Frano Botica playing for them, recently ran Italy close in World Cup qualifiers. The Uruguayans also went close in recent World Cup qualifiers and are still playing for a place in Wales next year in the repechage competition. Ticket for the tournament go on sale on January 31, with prices remaining at 1998 levels: $750 for adults and $250 for children.