The Scottish Rugby Union has expressed interest in hosting the World Cup Sevens in 2013.

Officials at Murrayfield will now work to determine whether to submit a formal bid next month after seven other unions - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Hong Kong, Russia and USA - also revealed their intentions to the International Rugby Board.

SRU chief executive Gordon McKie said: "Rugby sevens are very much regarded as the flagship for the global development of our sport - and that gives great pride to us in Scotland given that we gave the game to the world."

He added: "Scottish Rugby hosted the inaugural Rugby World Cup Sevens in 1993 and, of course, Sevens will ensure rugby returns to the Olympic family in time for the summer games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

"We are also very proud that Sevens will be one of major sports at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

"But what will be crucial in our deliberations on whether we submit a formal bid for the 2013 RWC Sevens will be that such a bid must sit alongside our strategic objectives.

"We cannot advance a bid if it were to compromise the overall financial stability of the game in Scotland and hosting such a tournament would be about much more than the event itself."