Where are your loyalties in big sports events?

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When people ask me my nationality I tell them I'm British. Technically I'm from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland but that's far too much of a mouthful. If I'm filling in a form, for example an immigration form, my nationality is UK. Technically I'm actually entitled to dual citizenship - UK and Ireland because my father was Irish-born. But I don't pretend to be something that I'm not. I'm British. There you go. In any major sporting event that doesn't split the home countries, I'm naturally completely behind the UK team but when an event splits us up, such as the current Rugby world cup or the football world cup next year, then I'm obviously going to support England because that's where I live. Once England are 'out' of such a tournament, then my next loyalty will be to support any of the other home nations - Wales, Scotland, (Northern Ireland when they've got a team) and my mixed blood puts me behind Ireland too. But only the English do this. Ask a Scot or a Welsh fan who they're supporting once their side is out of a tournament (or was never in it - in the case of football) and their answers are likely to be "ABE" - anyone but England. My annoying Welsh friend is supporting Argentina against the Irish today and will probably support Australia against the Scots. I just don't get this. Regardless of the sport for me it's England first, the rest of the Union plus Ireland second, the commonwealth countries third and a long way behind, anyone who isn't Argentina. At the moment I'm just hoping Scotland can keep the Northern Hemisphere in the tournament through to the semi-finals.