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.