Kingdom of Scotland the departure of the Stuart monarchs to rule in England from 1603. However, it was often sidelined and was abolished after the Acts of Union 1707, with rule direct from London. The Parliament of Scotland also emerged as a major legal institution, gaining an oversight of taxation and policy. By the end of the Middle Ages it was sitting almost every year, partly because of the frequent royal minorities and regencies of the period, which may have prevented it from being sidelined by the monarchy. In the early modern era, Parliament was also vital to the running of the country,
Rugby union in England Championship. They were World Champions from 2003–2007 and also made the finals of the 1991 and 2007 World Cups. World Rugby currently ranks England at 3rd out of 95 union-playing countries. They play their home games at Twickenham in Middlesex. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a song associated with the national rugby union team even though it was originally sung by black slaves on the cotton fields in the south of the U.S.A. Every four years the British and Irish Lions go on tour with players from England as well as Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Rugby union in England Rugby