Great Britain and Northern Ireland...

[monty0703]

In the context of say, athletics, why use the term Great Britain and Northern Ireland...why not UK. Gawd, I feel really thick!

[WaldoMcFroog]

Does the Isle of Man compete in it's own right? If so, this would be correct, as Great Britain doesn't include the IoM, whereas the UK does.

[kempie]

IoM is not part of the UK...

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/How-it-Works/Qu estion504146.html

[Oneeyedvic]

I also feel thick as I don't know where Northern Irish players would play for the Six Nations Rugby Championship.

[kempie]

Furthermore, although since 1999 the governing body for UK athletics has been cunningly called "UK Athletics", as far as the IAAF are concerned the federation area is still GB & NI...

http://www.iaaf.org/aboutiaaf/structure/federa tions/area=EUR/fedcode=152161/index.html

http://www.ukathletics.net/about-us/

[WaldoMcFroog]

Fiar point. Ahem...

[jno]

Vic, I think they play for Ireland. Rugby has long been an odd exception to partition.

[kempie]

The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), which predates partition, is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in Ireland i.e. Eire and NI.

[Oneeyedvic]

Thank you - I feel slightly less thick now (not a lot, but a little bit)

[monty0703]

but why not UK? Am I being incredibly thick today?

[kempie]

... because the constitution of the world governing body for the sport of athletics, the aforementioned IAAF, designates the UK as GB & NI.

http://www.iaaf.org/mm/Document/imported/9585. pdf

[keyplus90]

And why welsh players play cricket under the name of England?

[monty0703]

aha! Thanks for educating me.

[brionon]

monty0703 It's not you that's thick,it's the Idiots that make up these daft names.

[abstibus]

Sportsmen from N Ireland are British when they're winning, Irish when they're losing.

[brionon]

Oh dear, Petal. Have we got a chip on our shoulder,then.

[THECORBYLOON]

On the British Olympic Association site it says

"Team GB is the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic Team...

The sportsmen and women who are selected to participate for GB at the Olympic Games become members of the Great Britain Olympic Team, Team GB.

There is only one Olympic team from Great Britain; Team GB. There is not an Olympic swimming team or Olympic rowing team. The individual sports join to become Team GB, the Great Britain Olympic Team."

Now, if I were an Ulsterman I would not be impressed in the least about this. Ulster is part of the Uk, not part of Great Britain. I have contacted the BOA about this twice, wi no response. Since the UK will be hosting the next Olympics, is it not time for the BOA to recognise the inclusion of Ulster and use the name "Team UK?"

[kempie]

Likewise Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey & Dependencies, Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, and Turks and Caicos Islands are not part of the UK but are included in its Olympic Team so perhaps it should be renamed "Team UK and Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories".

Or perhaps "Team GB" will suffice.