Ireland and England have received automatic entry to the finals of the 1999 men's European Cup in Italy.

They join Germany, Holland, Belgium and Poland as countries already assured of their places in Padova, but Scotland and Wales will have to qualify.

The Scots will host one of the three tournaments at Dundee, where Switzerland, Finland, Greece, Denmark, Russia, Ukraine and Yugoslavia will also be attempting to fill the two places on offer for the finals.