Thanks for all the recommendations and fascinating information.
Yes I had read that "Team GB" was something forced on everybody by the Olympics. The odd thing to me is that the HSBC Sevens adopted it.
A sidenote is that, interestingly, it's "Team GB" not "Team UK". I had read that the Olympics people considered NI to be part of "Team GB" while the IRFU considered NI to be part of Ireland.
Anyhow last I read the 2025 Scottish "core players" were
Robbie Ferguson
Jamie Farndale
Ross McCann
Kaleem Barreto
I can't recall if there were any Welsh "core players".
About National Anthems, I knew that about Scotland but I didn't know that God Save The King wasn't official. Goes to figure, so many things are by tradition and custom.
Interestingly the United States didn't have an official National Anthem until 1931. The Star-Spangled Banner was put forward in 1930 by a petition started by the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Prior to that Hail Columbia, My Country 'tis of Thee, and America the Beautiful often filled that function.
Last edited by OC Richard; 5th May 25 at 01:39 AM.
Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte
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