Kate Hoey: NI sports stars must be just as free to represent Team GB / UK as the Republic

The late defection to the Republic’s football team by Mark Sykes is an example of the many anomalies in the organisation of sport in Northern Ireland.
By Kate Hoey
Published 27th Aug 2020, 07:00 BST
Updated 27th Aug 2020, 11:07 BST
Mark Sykes heads the ball for Glenavon against Linfield in in 2015; the Northern Ireland under-21 player defected to the RoI (which is allowed because unless you have been capped for the main first team, you can switch country)Mark Sykes heads the ball for Glenavon against Linfield in in 2015; the Northern Ireland under-21 player defected to the RoI (which is allowed because unless you have been capped for the main first team, you can switch country)
Mark Sykes heads the ball for Glenavon against Linfield in in 2015; the Northern Ireland under-21 player defected to the RoI (which is allowed because unless you have been capped for the main first team, you can switch country)

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Many sports are organised with an all-Ireland governing body and those who wish to compete at international level for the UK / British team cannot do so unless they move to GB.

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So those who do not wish to compete under the Tricolour but under their own countries’ flags may well drop out altogether.

Sport NI has always avoided standing up for the right of young people to choose who they wish to compete for and has gone along with the all-Ireland approach.

Boxing is a classic example of this, where those who tried to set up a NI boxing association were obstructed at every opportunity.

The Belfast agreement stated that everyone in NI had the right to choose whether to be British or Irish.

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Sadly that has not applied in sport, other than in football where until you play in a competitive match for the first team you can change your allegiance.

Sports clubs in the province should be able to affiliate to both British and Irish governing bodies, so a talented swimmer for example can choose the British team rather than the Irish as they have to do at the moment.

Kate Hoey, former UK Sports Minister and ex-Labour MP

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Related topics:IrelandSports Minister