Union and soccer play as different home nations because back when they wanted to start playing internationals there were no other teams to play if they were a GB/UK side. In this day and age there is no need to play as home nations.

And I said then and I say it now, we shouldn't have played him, but the percentage of players swapping nationalities to play for England is much higher, and isn't limited to overseas players. The other home nation teams are just feeder teams for England and it's a farce.

I agree, we shouldn't have had him on the residency rule. However we did, and whether we were GB or England, we'd have had Chase and Heighington as well. So let's not pretend that being GB would have prevented these Southern Hemisphere players playing for us.

As for the Scottish/Welsh/Irish players swapping nations, that's not England's fault. That's the international game's fault. Happens all the time Down Under, with teams regularly swapping Pacific Island teams for Aus or NZ. Should they group together as well? If that's an issue for us, why isn't it for them? This isn't because of England, but because of the rules.

Under the old system, with the home nations only playing in World Cups, do you honestly think the likes of Carvell and Brough would stick with Wales and Scotland in the WC next year if selected for England? I very much doubt it!

Until the other home nations can offer something, they aren't exactly going to keep hold of these players. And nor should they, they didn't produce them and they're only there on heritage. Same as the Pacific Islands.

100% Agree

I wonder how many people refused to support a team called GB but will England? Because quite frankly, the crowds for the last 4N have shown an improvement on GB this last decade. 45k at Wembley. Still selling out Elland Road. Seems there aren't (thankfully) many "fans" with the same opinion.

I agree with the OP ...the mere sound of Great Britain makes it sound more powerful than England ...even as a kid growing up there weren't that many Scots, Welsh or Irish playing for GB anyway and then we would do away with the "he's played for Scotland/Ireland/Wales so shouldn't be selected"........

If it was up for a vote i would definitely vote to return to GB.

Personally don't feel no emotional connection to a team called Great Britain, I know some people are a bit misty eyed about bygone days of when GB beat the Aussies etc but I'm English first and British a distant second. Listening to some on here you'd think England had become a dirty word. I could understand, like others have said if there was a load of better players waiting in the wings who don't play for England but there isn't. Still it hasn't stopped me watching a GB team over the years and wouldn't if it was brought back, I've had some wonderful occasions watching the old GB side.

For the life of me, I can’t understand why the Great Britain vs. England allegiance is even a debate. I understand the arguments about funding, playing strengths etc but not the “I will only support Great Britain” stance

I started watching League in the 80’s and supported Great Britain and now I support England. I get the same sense of anticipation and the same nervousness when I see the England team walk out as I did when I saw Great Britain

I just don't support England. Can't get into watching them. Won't bother going watching them and I don't even pay much attention if it's on in the pub. I used to feel completely different about Great Britain.

That is your prerogative but can I ask you why you feel like this though?

I said this on the Wigan board during the 4 nations and got 20 pages of abuse. Loads of people feel like this but they wont admit it

Again, I am really keen to understand not just that you do think this but also why you feel like it. Not to abuse you but to understand it because (as I have stated above), my feelings for England RL are the same as GB RL and I am passionate about both

And I feel more passionate about England than I do about GB. I feel England is a better "brand" in sport than "GB". That doesn't necessarily mean I think that "England RL" is a better brand than "GB RL", because obviously at this stage it won't be. People seem to forget that something new replacing something old is very rarely going to be instantly better. The point is that it has a lot more potential. And it does. The home nations being separate have a ton more of potential than GB ever will simply because there are four teams compared to one.

Even if the result is England are just as competitive as GB were (which they are, GB was England anyway), the fact that there is a Wales, a Scotland and an Ireland means we have more chance to expand, more teams to play without relying on expensive Pacific Island travel, etc.

To me, the only logical reason to want to keep GB is tradition and it being a stronger brand NOW. That is fine, and if you refuse to see any potential benefits from the change then that is your choice and your opinion.

But to refuse to support your national team? It's just stubbornness for the sake of it IMO. It's not going to make a difference. There are many people that would rather support England, and many people that never supported a GB team to cancel you out.

All other reasons (this foreigner rubbish, the stealing of "Scots", "Irish" and "Welsh" players that let's be honest never were "Scottish", "Welsh" or "Irish"icon_wink.gif are just clutching at straws for backing up what essentially is just a personal preference rather than a logical reason.

The only thing I dislike about "England RL" is that the logo is rubbish and the kit is ever changing. It needs a more attractive logo and a kit that has a design that can be stuck to and only altered slightly for commercial gain, not changed completely every year (there is another kit coming out this year BTW for those of you that don't know!). But I don't think that is a logical reason to not support them! Jesus Christ, how many fans would Wigan have lost over the years if this was a logical reason!

It seems to me that the Great Britain vs England argument is a waste of time except for the Sport England funding issue. Unless we have strong international teams representing Wales, Scotland, Ireland etc, and therefore a strong home international scene, all the best players will want to play for England as they'll be the only ones who'll ever get a hint at a competitive game against Aus and NZ.

However, by the time the RFL puts its mind to meaningful support of all the home nations, I'll be old and grey.