6 Nations Rugby Tournament

[Phil]

We have a common National Anthem for events when the whole Kingdom is being represented and our own individual anthems for when it is the constituent country being represented as for example in Rugby.

I have to differ on this one - I know of very few, if any, Scots who acknowledge the "National Anthem" no doubt due to its verse -
"Lord, grant that Marshal Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush,
God save the King."
hardly something the population here thinks it should go along with.

In common with Cessna I have Ulster relations and they fiercely regard themselves as British first, second and last. I recently had my nose bitten off when I raised the prospect of an "Irish wedding". "It will be nothing of the kind" I was told in no uncertain terms "It will be a British wedding". Times there may have moved on but attitudes certainly have not.

Finally I have to assume that you did not visit Scotland during the rugby world cup as I only recall seeing one English flag and that was in a quiet country place in the north of Scotland. Everyone else from our then First Minister Jack McConnell down preferred to support whichever team England was playing. Nothing xenophobic there of course, just the natural Scottish regard for the underdog because let's face it, the English sporting media never tire of telling us how everyone else is just that.
I will be supporting Wales from now on but Italy this afternoon.

[McClef]

The verse you cite Phil is a defunct one that has almost certainly never used for some considerable time. It represents an attitude which has almost died out with the dinosaurs. Like it or not it is still the official anthem of the United Kingdom as a whole and the tune is also the Royal Anthem of Norway, of Lichtenstein and they even sing the tune in the USA! My Country T'is of Thee.

The number of people who know even the second verse these days is considerably limited. There are many verses of songs that have been dropped with time and words get changed. Even if one chooses not to sing the words, the tune is the same.

The idea of Country anthems within the UK is of more recent antiquity. The Wales anthem Hen Wlad Fy'n Hadau is nineteenth century and the "English" Land of Hope and Glory (this is still considered Brit in some circumstances) early 20th. Heck Scotland the Brave as a tune is early 20th and the words from the 1950s and Flower of Scotland even later though its popularity over other candidates is undisputed.

As to the flags - I saw very many in Wales and media coverage showed them in Scotland also. Maybe they only came out for the cameras?