Olympics and Great Britain..?

Question

Why do England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland compete together in the Olympic Games and then they compete separately in competitions such as football or rugby world and euro cups????

Answer 1

Because each is too small to compete effectively on its own. As a whole they do better. Also, we are the United Kingdom of Great Britian.

Answer 2

Football was first codified in England  by the Football Association in 1869. The Scottish, Welsh and Irish Football Associations were formed not long after, before the rest of the World took up the game. There isn't a UKwide Football Association. The same applies to Rugby.

Answer 3

Well if they were separate countries they would not do so well but personally i like it better that way like in the commonwealth games as they appear as separate countries here. We compete separately in the commonwealth games becuase otherwise there wouldn't be enough teams especially when they first started with only a handful of teams competing.  

Answer 4

Cause you are all part of Britain? united kingdom, you know?

Answer 5

In the Commonwealth Games they compete seperately but I think because they are still politically the United Kingdom they can have a bet each way at the Olympics.

Best of both worlds really.

Answer 6

Lionel - as you can see, your question goes much deeper and you are thinking for yourself.  

Yes, many smaller countries compete in the Olympics and have done very well in the medal table also. For instance Norway, which is smaller than Scotland, had almost ten times the athletes at the Olympics in comparison!

Scotland cannot have more athletes as the available places are already taken by English, Welsh and N. Irish athletes. (This applies to any of them). And there is limits to how many people from one country can be entered for events too.

This is why there is calls for separate teams, which I agree with fully.

Also you notice there is an imbalance between these countries being separate in other sports and not in the Olympics. This does not sit well with other countries. It's either one, or the other.