Home Nations
Home Nations is a term used to refer to the four
constituent countries of the
United Kingdom —
England,
Scotland,
Wales and
Northern Ireland — collectively but as separate entities, distinct from the United Kingdom as a whole. The term is also sometimes used to refer to England, Scotland, Wales and
Ireland together. Its usage is rare (especially outside the UK) and somewhat controversial in some quarters, although it is more common in sporting contexts.
Sometimes the term is used to include all the self-governing nations or states of the
British Isles (thus including the
Republic of Ireland, the
Isle of Man, and the
Bailiwicks of
Guernsey and
Jersey); however, some consider this usage to be incorrect. There is some debate, both popular and academic, as to whether
Cornwall should be considered a constituent country of the UK in its own right (it is normally considered part of England) and therefore a Home Nation [
1], with the
Cornish nationalist movement often supporting this view.
The term is often used when referring to sporting events in which each Home Nation competes separately, such as the now defunct
British Home Championship in
football. When the term came into use is not known, but it is fair to assume that before the partition of Ireland into the still-British Northern Ireland and the independent
Irish Free State (now the Republic of Ireland) in 1922, that all of Ireland was considered to be a Home Nation (as all of it was part of the UK). This traditional usage is still seen today in the context of sports such as rugby union; the
Ireland national rugby union team represents both Northern Ireland
and the Republic of Ireland. It is still common in Britain and elsewhere, for the team to be referred to as a Home Nation team. Examples of such usage can also be found in the media in the Republic of Ireland and on the official site of the
Irish Rugby Football Union. The term 'Home Union' is used to refer to the governing bodies of the four teams.
For example, within the
Six Nations Championship in rugby union, the Home Nation teams play for the honour of winning the
Triple Crown, send players to the
British and Irish Lions and take part in hosting
Grand Slam tours.
Other sports which use the term 'Home Nations' include
rowing,
skiing,
swimming,
cycling,
hockey,
tennis,
mountaineering,
boxing and
golf.
*
British Isles (terminology)*
Constituent Countries*
Home Counties - counties in the
London area
*
Home Islands - the Japanese islands
*
Constitutive nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina
