THE Rugby World Cup proved two things. One was that England are light years ahead of any other team and the other is that we should stop having combined Great Britain sporting teams here and now.

The passion that surrounded England's victory can only be matched by the depression the result brought north and west of the border.

Why then, when people in Scotland and Wales love to see England lose and English people have no affinity with teams from those two countries, do we continue to lump the four home nations together in Olympic and other competitions?

The feeling and display of joy in England since Saturday morning was way beyond what it would have been had the triumph been achieved by a combined British team.

That is because sports fans on these shores are far more passionate and patriotic about their individual countries.

It is ridiculous that Scottish people are expected to support British teams containing English players when they are desperate to see England fail in sport.

This was proved in last summer's football World Cup when Scots bought thousands of Brazil shirts to show their support for the South Americans in the quarter-final against England.

If anything the Welsh are even more anti-English in sport while the English don't care how either of their neighbours fare.

It's all the kind of good, old fashioned rivalry that makes the sporting world go round and why soccer fans from all Britain's nations would relish a return of the old Home International series.

It is also why passion for the Olympics would be increased if the Great Britain shirt was ditched in favour of separate England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland teams.