IRELAND, Wales and Scotland will have little difficulty in qualifying for next year's rugby World Cup Sevens in Hong Kong. England qualify automatically as winners of the first event in 1993. The other three home unions are among 64 nations competing at three designated Sevens tournaments during the next nine months.

Ireland go to the Lisbon in June for their qualification tournament. They will be faced by Norway and Hungary. Wales and Scotland's qualification tournament is in Dubai in November. Scotland's pool includes Yugoslavia and Zambia while Wales are opposed by Zimbabwe and Singapore.

At both venues there are 24 nations divided into eight groups of three, with the pool winners going through to Hong Kong.