Home Nations is a collective term, that depending on the context in which it is used, either means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales); or if a sport is governed by a council representing the island of Ireland, such as the Irish Rugby Football Union, the term can refer to the nations of the constituent countries on the island of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and the collective Irish nation. This dual meaning has persisted in existence despite the partition of Ireland in 1922 as historically the term included all of Ireland, which between 1800 and 1922 was wholly a part of the United Kingdom. The term home countries (not to be confused with the "home counties") is also sometimes used, and is synonymous.
The term is also used by British Cycling to refer to the seven representative teams of the United Kingdom and the Crown Dependencies (the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey) that participate in the Commonwealth Games. The Crown Dependencies are not part of the United Kingdom.
Read more about Home Nations: Association Football, Rugby Union, Rugby League
Famous quotes containing the words home and/or nations:
“As for pictures and museums, that don’t trouble me. The worst of going abroad is that you’ve always got to look at things of that sort. To have to do it at home would be beyond a joke.”
—Margaret Oliphant (1828–1897)
“All men should have a drop of treason in their veins, if nations are not to go soft like so many sleepy pears.”
—Rebecca West (1892–1983)