Figure 1.--"Here is a publicity photograph of boys dressed in the kits of some of the countries used to promote British TV coverage of the last World Cup (held in Australia and which England famously won with the last kick of the game). All the teams are not represented--England are twice for some reason!"

What every national soccer team aims at of course is victory in the World Cup competation. Each nation forms a national team from the various teams competing in their country. This is complicated somewhat by the fact that many teams employ foreign players. Normally they play for the country of their birth rather than the country in which the professional team for which they play is located. Players may qualify for a country other than the country of their birth only after a lengthy residential qualification. Other countries such as the United Kingdom have several national teams (England, Scotland, Ulster, and Wales). A British reader writes, "Here is a picture of boys dressed in the kits of some of the countries used to promote British TV coverage of the last World Cup (held in Australia and which England famously won with the last kick of the game). All the teams are not represented--England are twice for some reason! - the boys at left and third from left. You can the red rose logo – (my Yorkshire cousin – who also played Rugby (Union) at school hated this as,as you'll know, Yorkshire is the White Rose county as opposed to fierce rivals Lancashire who are Red Rose). I don't know why Enland picked the Red Rose – probably because the shirt is white. The proper socks are red – as the boy far left has.The boy second left wears the famous strip of the “All Blacks” - New Zealand, and the fourth left is the green and gold of the “Boks” - South Africa with the springbok logo. To my shame I don't know what ! the boy at far right is wearing – it could be Fiji or Tonga (it is not Australia I'm fairly sure). Maybe someone will know.They are all English boys – but that does remind me – Rugby is fairly big in Japan too. They are not of course wearing proper Rugby boots.

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Created: 8:36 PM 7/31/2004
Last updated: 8:36 PM 7/31/2004