[Other Sport] Team GB

Doonhamer7 said:

Throughly behind our guys and gals at the Olympics but it has only just sunk in with me whilst watching an interview with one of our team, why is it called Team GB? Bit rude to our Northern Irish cousins, so why is it not called Team UK?

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Doonhamer7 said:

Throughly behind our guys and gals at the Olympics but it has only just sunk in with me whilst watching an interview with one of our team, why is it called Team GB? Bit rude to our Northern Irish cousins, so why is it not called Team UK?

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Simster said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37058920

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Simster said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37058920


One thing is certain. "Team Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Channel Islands and UK Overseas Territories" doesn't roll easily off the tongue.

It seems that it is called TeamGB because we've used GBR since 1890 or something, so it's easier to market it that way. Besides, unionists in Ireland are British people in Ireland, so I can only imagine the Northern Irish athletes themselves are pretty relaxed about it. It will only be the mental headbangers in the DUP who are having any sort of hissy fit, unlike the Manx or Channel Islanders who are similarly affected.

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Doonhamer7 said:

Interesting that at Rio must NI athletes represented Team Ireland rather than Team GB. I expect Team GB rather than Team UK (even if wrong for the islands) was probably another London centric decision that showed little consideration for our collectivity

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Simster said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37058920


One thing is certain. "Team Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Channel Islands and UK Overseas Territories" doesn't roll easily off the tongue.

It seems that it is called TeamGB because we've used GBR since 1890 or something, so it's easier to market it that way. Besides, unionists in Ireland are British people in Ireland, so I can only imagine the Northern Irish athletes themselves are pretty relaxed about it. It will only be the mental headbangers in the DUP who are having any sort of hissy fit, unlike the Manx or Channel Islanders who are similarly affected.

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Simster said:

Yes it is. My guess is that the Irish took the decision to take more competitors than ever before, and given that they represent up to 5m people rather than 65m it was probably easier to qualify that way.

I know there were unionist boxers who fought under the Irish flag simply because they felt that was where the financial support was coming from. I suspect it has all become a lot less contentious in recent times whereas during the troubles those competitors could be threatened for choosing the wrong representation that "betrayed" the community they were from.

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Tom Hark said:

From the studio, 5 mins ago, discussing GB identical twin gymasts:

Hazel Irvine: 'So. Beth. How do YOU tell them apart?'

Beth Tweedie: 'I tend to go by the events they are in'

THPP, not in the studio: I tend to go by the great big f**k-off non-identical numbers on the front of their leotards meself

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Jolly Red Giant said:

It should also be noted that Dublin born athletes are competing for GB in sailing and rugby 7s - and of the GB's four competitors in women's gymnastics, one is the daughter of former Irish soccer international Mark Kinsella and the Gadirova twins were born in Dublin - so three of the four female gymnasts competing for GB could well be competing for Ireland instead. There are also Irish born athletes competing for Australia in athletics, USA in rowing (expected to win a medal) and Denmark in cycling and in rowing for Uganda. A number of the Irish athletes at the Olympics were also born outside Ireland - in Britain, Australia, Poland, Lativa and a couple of others. I am sure that there are some British born athletes competing for other countries as well other non-British born athletes competing for GB.

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