History of the Home Internationals

The British Isles has enjoyed Home International competition between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales (collectively the ‘Home Nations’) since 1975. For nearly 50 years this has been realised as separate annual matches at junior, senior and veteran levels and the team from Ireland has long been drawn from all four provinces, administered/governed by Northern Ireland OA.

Formats have changed over the years with relays quickly added to an individual day. Team compositions have developed with time: the Junior Home International teams have always been ‘under 18s’; Seniors were just ‘open’ classes but soon included 19s (became 20s) and later 35s; Veteran Home International teams have spanned age classes 40-60, with 35s and 65s added in 2011, and lately 70s added.

Senior Home International

The first Home International, consisting only of an individual race, was held alongside the Scottish Championships at Dunkeld on May 4th 1975 with teams from all four home nations. Organised by Brian Porteous, and using the newly scribed Craig a Barns map, Geoff Peck (Scotland) was fastest but England won the men’s team event from Wales, then Scotland – based on the aggregate time of the best 4, with a mere 3% between 1st and 3rd nations! Carol McNeill running for Scotland won the women’s race and led the Scots to victory (3 to count).

Junior Home International

A year later the first Junior Home International was staged for boys only: M13, M15 and M17 in May/June 1976 at Harrop Tarn (individual 31st May) and Greystoke (relay 2nd June) organised by Lakeland and Borderliners. With teams from all four home nations the Individual winners were Don Hill, R Carter and David Cheesewright, and in the relay, though England won the M17s and M15s, Northern Ireland won the M13s. It is not clear whether the JHI was staged annually thereafter nor when teams including girls were introduced.

Veteran Home International

Many years later the first Veteran Home International was held in 1990 on Pembrey Sands, organised by Swansea Bay OC and SPLOT (Splott Poly Lost Old Timers – the old boys club of UWIST, The University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology, Cardiff). Spanning age classes from 40 to 60, results for “National Event 6 and the inaugural Veteran Home International” (20th/21st October 1990) show an England win (103 pts), followed by Scotland (87 pts) with Wales and Ireland tying on 52 points (individual races only).

Sources: Many but particularly the ancient records of: Brian Bullen, Sally Soady, Dick Whitworth, David Roach, Hilary Palmer.