A FORMER Dunfermline Rugby Club player will try to score a World Cup berth – and scrum down against his idol.

Gregor McNeish, who came through the youth ranks at McKane Park after joining at the age of seven, is preparing to play for Hong Kong in the Asia Rugby Championship (ARC) final against South Korea this weekend.

The three-times Scotland club XV cap, who was born in Dunfermline, is eligible to play for Hong Kong under residency rules, having moved there in 2016.

Qualified PE teacher McNeish, who combines working at the independent international school, Renaissance College, with playing for Hong Kong Scottish Rugby Football Club, first played for the Dragons three years ago and amassed 14 points – thanks to a try, three conversions and a penalty – on his debut, a 36-17 win over Belgium.

On Saturday, not only will he and his team-mates look to become Asian champions, a victory would see them travel to the Gold Coast in Australia for a shot at World Cup qualification.

Tonga await the winners of the ARC final, with the victor in that match qualifying for next year's tournament in France, where they would be placed in Pool B – alongside Scotland.

Gregor Townsend's team are in a tough section which contains reigning world champions South Africa, as well as Ireland and Romania, with Tonga, Hong Kong or South Korea taking the final place.

If Hong Kong were to make it, it could give McNeish the opportunity to go up against one of his inspirations that wears the dark blue, as his dad Terry, who himself has had a long association with Dunfermline Rugby Club, explained: "He'd love to play against Finn Russell. He aspires to play the game like Finn Russell.

"Basically, he's involved with the travelling squad of 25 players who are flying out to South Korea to take part in a diluted Asia Championships.

"If they were to win that – and that would mean they would retain the Asian Championship – they would then fly direct from South Korea to the Gold Coast in Australia to take on Toga.

"The winners of that game would then gain a spot at the World Cup in Scotland's section.

"Tonga's going to be very strong, and it's going to be a big ask, but they're up for it. If they were to lose that, they get one more lifeline, in that there is a final place to be filled."

The loser of the Tonga versus Hong Kong or South Korea match would, in November, go into a round-robin 'final qualifier' – alongside one team from Europe, one from South America, and one from Africa – to take the last remaining place at the World Cup.

That would be in Pool C, which contains Wales, Australia, Fiji and Georgia, giving the winners of the ARC two chances to try to reach the tournament.

"He's definitely getting quite excited about the prospect of playing against these internationally-renowned and revered players," Terry said of Gregor's selection.

"I think South Korea are ranked 29 in the world, and Hong Kong are 22 in the world. It will be close; the problem with the Hong Kong squad is, because of COVID and the restrictions, their international team programme has been seriously curtailed over the last two years, and a large number of the full-time players were put onto part-time contracts. As a result, some of them have left Hong Kong.

"I think there's four or five overseas included in the squad; these are players who were involved with Hong Kong but, who when they were made part-time, returned to their own country, whether it be Australia, New Zealand or the Pacific Island countries.

"He's probably missed out on about five or six caps because of COVID, with their summer tours, Asian Championships and all the rest of it.

"That's been unfortunate, but the thing's been resurrected again, it's going ahead, and good luck to him."

McNeish, who has been working with Alex Allan, an eight-times capped Scotland prop and former Glasgow Warriors star, who joined Hong Kong Scottish as a player-coach last year, won't be short on support from home.

Dunfermline Rugby Club said that "we wish him all the very best on this exciting journey, we are extremely proud", with Terry adding: "The response that he's had from Dunfermline Rugby Club has been fantastic.

"There's been a lot of posts on the Facebook page wishing him well and, although he moved from Dunfermline to Heriot's before he moved off to Hong Kong and New Zealand, he still sees himself as a Dunfermline player. His heart is still with Dunfermline.

"He's absolutely delighted at the selection. He has been performing really well with his team out there, which is Hong Kong Scottish.

"He's been performing well there and he was actually the captain of the club last year.

"The quality of the players that these sides attract is quite phenomenal. He's always wanted to play at as high a level as he possibly could.

"He's certainly achieved that now!"