THE final place on the globe's biggest rugby union stage is up for grabs and a West Fifer hopes he can help his team claim it.

Former Dunfermline Rugby Club star Gregor McNeish, who was born in the city, has travelled to Dubai as he bids to help Hong Kong qualify for next year's Rugby World Cup.

The 30-year-old, a three-time Scotland Club XV cap, is with the Dragons squad that will take on the United States, Portugal and Kenya in the final qualification tournament for the finals, which will be played between September 8 and October 28 next year in France.

Played in a round-robin format, each of the competing teams will face each other once, with the side who accumulate the most points booking their plane tickets to the World Cup, where they will face Wales, Australia, Fiji and Georgia in Pool C.

Hong Kong, for whom McNeish, who moved there in 2016, is eligible to play for under residency rules, have never qualified for the World Cup and are currently ranked 22nd in the world.

Gregor will be cheered on in Hong Kong's second and third matches by his mum and dad Terry, who told Press Sport: "I think the USA will start as favourites.

"It will be very close, but I think the USA, having lost in their play-off, will be smarting from that and determined to right that wrong.

"Gregor is quietly confident. He said that the other teams are good, but we're good as well. The games are being played at the Sevens Stadium so it will be quite a spectacle.

"The Hong Kong (Rugby) Union have looked after them. They're in a five-star hotel and have been out there for a week so their preparation has been as good as it can be."

In July, they played South Korea in the Asia Rugby Championship (ARC) final in Incheon, and the stand-off came off the bench to kick over the decisive points from a penalty as Hong Kong edged a nailbiting match 23-21.

Not only did that victory ensure they retained the trophy, it put them through to the Asia/Pacific play-off against Tonga for a shot at qualifying for the World Cup.

McNeish, a qualified PE teacher, and his team-mates lost 44-22, with Tonga progressing to their ninth tournament, where they will play in Pool B alongside Scotland, reigning champions South Africa, Ireland and Romania.

Defeat, however, did not spell the end of Hong Kong's dream, as it put them into the final qualification tournament, which brings together four teams from the Africa, Asia/Pacific, Americas and Europe regions to battle it out for the remaining place.

Portugal, ranked 20th in the world, reached this stage by finishing third in the Rugby Europe Championship 2021 and 2022 combined standings; Kenya, the lowest-ranked of the quartet in 33rd, were runners-up to Namibia in the Rugby Africa Cup 2022; and the USA, ranked 19th, are in the final qualification tournament after missing out to Uruguay and Chile in the race for the top two Americas slots.

Dunfermline Rugby Club, with whom McNeish progressed through the age groups and won the National Shield at Murrayfield in 2011/12, added: "Congratulations to Gregor who has been named in the Hong Kong squad for the Final Qualification Tournament for the #RWC23.

"Good luck to Gregor and the HK squad, we’re all rooting for you."

Hong Kong, who made it to the final qualification tournament for the 2019 World Cup, which saw Canada qualify for the finals in Japan, play Portugal on Sunday, after Kenya open against the USA.

McNeish's side then go head-to-head with the United States next Saturday (November 12) before concluding their campaign against Kenya on Friday, November 18.

The match with Portugal kicks off at 2.30pm.