The Development of Elite Rugby Union Officiating in Wales: A Critical Analysis Neil James Hennessy Thesis submitted to the University of Wales in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Cardiff School of Sport, Cardiff Metropolitan University March 2014 Declaration This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not being concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. Signed: (Candidate) Date: Statement 1 This thesis is the result of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledged by giving explicit references. A bibliography is appended. Signed: (Candidate) Date: Statement 2 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loan, and for the title and abstract to be made available to outside organisations. Signed: (Candidate) Date: Abstract Rugby refereeing requires its practitioners to possess certain qualities. MacIntyre (1981) emphasises the importance of moral goods defined with respect to a community of virtuous persons engaged in a social practice. Whereas a virtue ethics account of playing and coaching has evolved (Brown, 1990; McNamee, 1995), little philosophical work exists on the role and status of elite match officials. The significance attached to the outcome of elite sport contests provide principled and instrumental reasons as to why this particular sporting aspect requires attention. Existing sports officiating research deals primarily with psychological (Bar-Eli et al., 1995; Boyko et al., 2007; Nevill et al., 2002; Weinberg et al., 1990) and physiological issues (Castagna et al., 2007; Inácio da Silva et al., 2008; Reilly et al., 2006). This work does little to explain the role and function of elite officiating. This interpretive study aims to enhance role understanding within a MacIntyrean framework, using elite Rugby Union officiating in Wales as its particular context. It examines the extent to which elite Rugby officiating can be considered part of a social practice by investigating the elite referee‟s role as an arbitrator of justice and fairness and other responsibilities that may constitute the internal goods and virtues that safeguard the game. This analysis provides principled foundations for identifying those aspects of the referee development structure that represent „good practice‟ and those that require reform. Key findings suggest (i) that Rugby refereeing is unique within sports officiating, (ii) that officiating is an integral yet imprecisely understood part of the practice; what Morgan (2007) refers to as a social collaboration and (iii) that greater interactivity between playing, coaching and officiating would enhance the growing understanding of Welsh Rugby as a commodified product. Subsequent recommendations include implementing a holistic approach to developing the game through the creation of a Rugby triumvirate and maximising the limited resources in the referee development process through early talent identification. Keywords: Elite match officials, sports officiating, social practice, game reasoning, virtue ethics, justice, phronesis I Acknowledgements Rwyf yn hynod ddiolchgar i'r Doethur Alun R. Hardman, Cyfarwyddwr Astudiaethau, am ei amynedd nodedig a‟i ddealltwriaeth fawr. Mae dyled enfawr arnaf iddo. Rwyf wedi gwerthfawrogi‟n wir y cyfraniad gan Y Doethur Carwyn R. Jones, Goruchwyliwr. Mae ei adborth beirniadol wedi bod yn ddefnyddiol iawn. Diolch o‟r galon i‟r ddau ohonoch am eich cefnogaeth academaidd a phersonol drwy gydol y broses hir hon! Diolch yn fawr iawn i'r Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol am hwyluso‟r posibilrwydd rhyfeddol hwn yn y lle cyntaf. II “You and I do not see things as they are. We see things as we are.” Herb Cohen III Table of Contents Abstract I Acknowledgements II Table of Contents IV List of Figures VIII List of Tables IX List of Appendices X Introduction Background 1 Rationale 6 Aims and objectives 7 Outline of thesis 9 Chapter One: Conceptualisation 1.1 Introduction 14 1.2 Nature of Rugby and other constitutive games 15 1.2.1 Rugby as a social practice 23 1.2.2 Rugby as a social institution 26 1.3 Game reasoning 29 1.4 Nature of officiating 33 1.5 Virtue ethics 41 1.6 Justice 48 1.7 Phronesis 54 1.8 Characteristics of an elite match official 59 1.9 Summary 61 Chapter Two: The Welsh Rugby Union Group 2.1 Introduction 64 2.2 Volunteering 65 2.3 Playing, coaching and refereeing as professions 67 2.4 Enhancing performance 70 2.5 Five basic parts of an organisation 71 IV 2.6 The Welsh Rugby Union Group 72 2.6.1 Boards of the WRU Ltd and Millennium Stadium PLC 75 2.6.2 Subcommittees 75 2.6.2.1 Finance Committee 75 2.6.2.2 Regulatory Committee 76 2.6.2.3 Game Policy Committee 76 2.6.3 Executive Board 76 2.6.3.1 Group Chief Executive 77 2.6.3.2 Head of Rugby Performance and Development 77 2.6.3.3 Head of Group Compliance 78 2.6.3.4 Group Finance Director 78 2.6.3.5 Millennium Stadium General Manager 78 2.6.3.6 Head of Group Communication 78 2.7 Rugby Performance and Development Department 79 2.7.1 Playing 81 2.7.2 Coaching 81 2.7.3 Officiating 81 2.8 Referees Department 82 2.8.1 National Referee Manager 84 2.8.2 High Performance 84 2.8.3 Community Rugby 86 2.8.4 Departmental operations 87 2.8.4.1 Match appointments 87 2.8.4.2 Performance reviews 88 2.8.4.3 Promotion and demotion 89 2.8.4.4 Grading system 90 2.9 Functionality 91 2.9.1 Hierarchical organisation 91 2.9.1.1 Personnel 92 2.9.1.2 Appointments 93 2.9.2 Systems of power, authority and control 94 2.9.2.1 Power 95 2.9.2.2 Authority 96 2.9.2.3 Control 97 2.10 Linear structural analysis 98 2.11 Cross structural analysis 99 2.12 Proportionality 100 2.13 Summary 101 2.14 From review to research 104 Chapter Three: Methodology 3.1 Introduction 107 3.2 Researcher as participant 109 3.2.1 Researcher‟s background 111 3.2.2 Researcher‟s voice 113 3.2.3 Ontology and epistemology of the study 115 V 3.3 From the conceptual to the methodological 121 3.3.1 Conceptual framework 122 3.3.1.1 Formulating the questions 123 3.4 Chosen methodology 125 3.5 Piloting 129 3.6 Research process 130 3.6.1 Timeline 131 3.6.2 Interpretive data analysis 131 3.6.3 Codification 132 3.7 Reliability and validity 133 3.7.1 Reliability 134 3.7.2 Validity 136 3.8 Operational considerations 139 3.9 Referee structure 140 3.10 Sampling 140 3.11 Pilot interview 142 3.12 Initial contact 143 3.13 Participants 144 3.13.1 Academy referee profiling 147 3.13.2 Equipment 149 3.14 Interviews 149 3.14.1 Format 152 3.15 Supporting evidence 152 3.16 Data analysis 154 3.16.1 Managing and reporting data 155 3.16.2 Data triangulation 156 3.17 Research ethics 157 3.18 Summary 159 Chapter Four: Results and Discussion 4.1 Introduction 161 4.2 Game reasoning 162 4.2.1 Pre-match game reasoning 163 4.2.2 In-game game reasoning 166 4.2.3 Implications 167 4.3 Virtue ethics 173 4.3.1 Participants‟ views 173 4.3.2 Interpretations 177 4.4 Justice 181 4.4.1 Participants‟ views 181 4.4.2 Interpretations 184 4.5 Phronesis 186 4.5.1 Participants‟ views 186 4.5.2 Interpretations 190 4.6 Development structure 193 4.6.1 Participants‟ views 194 4.6.2 Interpretations 205 VI 4.7 Interactivity 213 4.7.1 Participants‟ views 213 4.7.2 Interpretations 219 4.8 Discussion of key findings 221 4.8.1 Nature of Rugby officiating and the distinctiveness of task 221 4.8.2 Integral part of the practice 231 4.8.3 Developing the professional game 235 4.9 Summary 239 Chapter Five: Conclusions and Recommendations 5.1 Introduction 241 5.2 Implications of key findings 242 5.2.1 Nature of Rugby officiating and the distinctiveness of task 242 5.2.2 Integral part of the practice 246 5.3.3 Developing the professional game 248 5.3 Recommendations 251 5.3.1 Recruitment and retention 251 5.3.2 Advisory system 252 5.3.3 Talent identification 254 5.3.4 Mentorship 256 5.3.5 Use of technology 257 5.3.6 A Rugby triumvirate 258 5.4 National Academy: An update 259 5.5 Limitations 260 5.5.1 Researcher as insider and other considerations 260 5.5.2 Code of conduct 262 5.6 Future research 262 References 265 Appendices 277 VII List of Figures Title Page Figure 2.1 Five Basic Parts of an Organisation 71 Figure 2.2 Organisational Structure of the Welsh Rugby Union Group 74 Organisational Structure of the Rugby Performance and Figure 2.3 73 Development Department Figure 2.4 Organisational Structure of the Referees Department 76 VIII List of Tables Title Page Table 1 Set 1 – Match Officials 146 Table 2 Set 2 – Regional Coaching Staff 147 Table 3 Set 3 – Junior Academy Referees 148 Table 4 Set 4 – Professional League Referees 148 IX List of Appendices Title Page Appendix A WRU Referee Performance Evaluation Sheet 277 Appendix B WRU Match Official‟s Performance Review Form 278 Appendix C WRU Referee‟s Coaching Report 280 Appendix D Set 1 Interview 281 Appendix E WRU Referee and Advisory Structure Review 284 Appendix F Pilot Interview 290 Appendix G Voluntary Consent Form 293 Appendix H National Referee Manager Interview 294 Appendix I Junior Academy Referee Profile 296 Appendix J Set 2 Interview 297 Appendix K Set 3 Interview 299 Appendix L Set 4 Interview 301 Appendix M IRFU Referee Performance Review 303 Appendix N SRU Referee Coaching Form 305 Appendix O Data Analysis Sample 307 Appendix P Profile of an RFU Elite Match Official 308 Appendix Q PRO12 Referee Performance Review 309 X Introduction This introductory chapter provides the reader with an outline of the thesis.