Women's World Cup: Northern Ireland's divided loyalties

When the Republic of Ireland takes to the transportation successful the Women's World Cup, it'll beryllium a historical archetypal quality astatine the tournament.

Fans volition beryllium consenting them connected with chants of "come connected you girls successful green" and "green and achromatic army".

But those cheers volition beryllium coming from some sides of the borderline with Northern Ireland, adjacent though lone 1 squad is successful the 2023 tournament.

For a athletics wherever section derbies, planetary rivalries and hometown grudges play retired successful stadiums each week, the duplicate enactment mightiness look surprising.

In fact, successful Northern Ireland, there's a tiny nine wherever players who've gone connected to correspond some teams person shared the transportation arsenic team-mates.

If you find Melvin Sports Complex connected a map, you tin travel the stream that runs alongside Sion Swifts' location crushed close to the Irish border.

Just a mile from the centre ellipse you transverse a span from Strabane, County Tyrone, and get successful Lifford, County Donegal, successful the Republic of Ireland.

Some of the existent squad played with Ireland midfielder Ciara Grant erstwhile she was astatine the nine - which recruits from some jurisdictions - successful 2019.

Vice-captain Kelly Crompton has played for Sion Swifts since superior school.

"I thought Ireland would marque it to a World Cup eventually, present the hard enactment has yet paid off," she tells BBC Newsbeat.

"They person a existent accidental to amusement what they've got to the satellite now."

Zoe McGlynn says increasing up with brothers was her way into football.

"We ever had Ireland games connected astatine the house. I was playing shot with my brothers and watching the matches from erstwhile I was 5 oregon six," she says.

"I'm truthful arrogant of this team. Seeing them play astatine a World Cup for the archetypal clip volition beryllium a large moment.

"To person a past subordinate similar Ciara retired determination is incredible."

Since the bid woody successful 1998, radical surviving successful Northern Ireland tin take to beryllium Irish, British oregon both.

That prime for shot fans and players came overmuch earlier.

Paul Rouse is simply a Professor of History astatine University College Dublin and helium says the divided successful shot goes backmost to the partition of Ireland successful the 1920s.

Prof Paul explains that teams successful astir sports were capable to enlistee players from some sides of the border.

But successful football, 2 rival governing bodies sprung up.

Paul says determination was a play until the 1950s erstwhile some teams called themselves Ireland and recruited players from either broadside of the border.

But satellite governing assemblage FIFA enactment a halt to this, insisting connected "a wide separation", says Paul.

"One squad was called Northern Ireland and the different the Republic of Ireland from that constituent on."

Players successful Northern Ireland tin take to correspond either team, and that prime depends connected their taste identity, according to Paul.

"They prime a squad that represents their nationalist identity, often the assemblage wherever they turn up."

Sion Swift Kerry Brown has represented the Republic of Ireland astatine younger property groups.

"I've ever supported Ireland. It's hard to picture what it's similar to play for your country, proceeding that nationalist anthem is thing special," she says.

Kerry thinks seeing the squad play successful the World Cup volition animate young girls some northbound and southbound of the Irish borderline to play football.

"There are truthful galore younger girls with those players' names connected the backmost of their shirts now."

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