The 12 teams set to participate in the Cable & Wireless Hong Kong Women's Rugby Sevens have been announced, with Malaysia set to make their debut in Women's Sevens.

This year's Hong Kong Women's Rugby Sevens will be the 13th edition of the tournament, which has grown into one of the top annual fixtures in women's rugby.

Last year Australia, who had earlier won the inaugural Women's Rugby World Cup in Sevens, beat China 24-7 to clinch the title.

This year's women's event will be held at the Hong Kong Football Club on Friday 26 March, the day the men's competition starts, and the Cup final will be played at 7.04pm in the Hong Kong Stadium during a break in play at the main Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens.

Eight of the 12 sides come from the Asian region, while representation from New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea and South Africa highlights the tournament's enduring appeal, and the growth of women's rugby, which is set to enjoy its four-yearly Rugby World Cup tournament in England later this year.

Of the Asian sides present, China are arguably the most celebrated. The Chinese took the Bowl trophy at last year's Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai and more recently beat the United States at the Women's Eagles' home invitational tournament in Las Vegas.

Of Asia's established women's rugby nations, Kazakhstan is arguably the most prominent and will compete in London in August and September as the region's sole direct entry into the Women's Rugby World Cup.

Other Asian teams include the Arabian Gulf, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and hosts Hong Kong, while the national team of Papua New Guinea rounds off the roster of full representative national squads.

In addition, three of the world's premier women's club sides are also taking part, including five-time Cup champions Aotearoa Maori from New Zealand. The Aussie Amazons from Australia and Pretoria University's Tuks from South Africa complete the competitive field.

Participating teams:
AGRFU
Aussie Amazons
China
Hong Kong
Japan
Kazakhstan
Malaysia
NZ Aotearoa Maori
PNG
SA Tuks
Singapore
Thailand