IRELAND have received a tough draw in the World Sevens to take place in Hong Kong from March 21st-23rd. They must play South Africa and Argentina in Pool E and their chances of reaching the quarter finals must be slim.

The five final qualifiers for the sevens were determined after a 16 nation, two day tournament in Punta del Este, Uruguay. France, Western Samoa, the Cook Islands, Japan, and Argentina were the countries to claim their places in Hong Kong.

The French won overall in Uruguay, beating Western Samoa 35-14 in the final, concluding a 50 match event which provided 320 tries.

The Scottish Rugby Union is to appoint full time coaches for each of the four home districts as part of their commitment to improving district rugby. The posts will be advertised in the southern hemisphere as well as in Scotland and the new coaches are expected to be in place before next season.