Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2017 December 24

= December 24 =

Star Wars
In Star Wars, how long before the Battle of Yavin does the first battle of the Rebellion actually take place? 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:0:0:0:64DA (talk) 04:29, 24 December 2017 (UTC)
 * The rebellion skirmishes started in 18BBY. The first real battle is Toprawa in 0BBY. It is up to you to decide if any of the skirmishes over the 18 years count as battles. 75.176.88.6 (talk) 15:17, 24 December 2017 (UTC)
 * Does the latter figure take into account the skirmishes/battles in Star Wars Rebels? 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:8115:EFB1:83C0:5101 (talk) 03:45, 25 December 2017 (UTC)
 * Star Wars Rebels starts at 5BBY. As you point out, they are skirmishes. If you personally want to, you can pick one and call it a major battle, but the community accepted first battle is Toprawa. 71.85.51.150 (talk) 23:22, 26 December 2017 (UTC)

List of sports with "split Britain"
Is there a full list of sports in which the four countries of the United Kingdom, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, compete independently, not united as Brits? Fairly obviously, this will apply to sports predominantly played in Britain, or used to be such historically. At the moment, I am aware of soccer, snooker, darts, and rugby union (rugby league appears to be more complicated). What are others? --KnightMove (talk) 10:39, 24 December 2017 (UTC)
 * Well for one thing, or rather for an awful lot of things, the UK is divided into the four nations for every event in the Commonwealth Games. --Antiquary (talk) 10:55, 24 December 2017 (UTC)
 * Rugby Union is also complicated - the four national teams (one of which represents both parts of Ireland, rather than just Northern Ireland) play separately at home, but tour as the British and Irish Lions. Even football managed to put together united teams for the 2012 Olympic Games in London - though they haven't done so for any other tournaments since 1971. Wymspen (talk) 13:05, 24 December 2017 (UTC)
 * Incorrect. The nations definitely tour separately in Union, including in the Six Nations, World Cup, Autumn and Spring tests etc. The Lions is a special invitation only tour that happens every four years. Fgf10 (talk) 15:07, 24 December 2017 (UTC)
 * Correct. Cricket is another interesting one. There is a Ireland cricket team who represent all of Ireland. Then there's the England cricket team who actually represent Wales as well. They used to represent Scotland, but not since 1992, with the Scotland national cricket team representing them since 1994 although they are only an associate member with ODI and T20I status, so don't play Test cricket. Nil Einne (talk) 16:33, 26 December 2017 (UTC)
 * Cricket gets even more interesting when you see that the first-class nations are allowed to cherry-pick the players of the associate nations for themselves, so many of the Irish cricketers have represented England at some stage. Despite Scotland having their own team, this applies to them too. When the first-class nation has finished with the cricketer, they can go back to playing for the associate nation without penalty. --TammyMoet (talk) 11:43, 27 December 2017 (UTC)
 * Has a Welsh, Scottish and Irish guy (all 3 kinds) played Test for England at some point? Cornish? Manx? Jerseyan? Guernseyan? Gibraltaran? Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 15:34, 27 December 2017 (UTC)
 * Many Welshmen, a few Scots and Irish have played Test cricket for England. Ireland securing Test status may dry up that particular trickle. I'm not sure the Cornish etc was supposed to be serious, but there's been at least one England Test cricketer born in Hong Kong. --Dweller (talk) Become old fashioned! 13:12, 28 December 2017 (UTC)
 * To the chagrin of the Cornish Nats, the Cornish count as English for sporting purposes; the County Championship (rugby union) is just about their only outlet of sporting national fervour, a winning team are granted an open-top bus parade through the streets of Truro accompanied by much signing of Trelawny and waving of St Piran's Flags.
 * Footballer Matt Le Tissier is a native of Guernsey in the Channel Islands but played for England in the 1990s. Alansplodge (talk) 12:54, 28 December 2017 (UTC)
 * Roller Derby is represented by the nations at the respective World Cups; teams for England, Wales, and Scotland exist; as well as Ireland (but not currently Northern Ireland, players from NI are generally eligible to play for Ireland, or another nation). --RedHillian &#124; Talk 04:28, 1 January 2018 (UTC)
 * See Category:National sports teams of England, Category:National sports teams of Scotland, Category:National sports teams of Northern Ireland and Category:National sports teams of Wales. There are a handful of sports represented there. Nanonic (talk) 10:52, 1 January 2018 (UTC)