Preparing Young Elite Rugby Players for a Future Beyond the Game

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Preparing Young Elite Rugby Players for a Future Beyond the Game University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016 University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 2007 Game of two halves: preparing young elite rugby players for a future beyond the game Nathan Price University of Wollongong Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses University of Wollongong Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorise you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this work may be reproduced by any process, nor may any other exclusive right be exercised, without the permission of the author. Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. A court may impose penalties and award damages in relation to offences and infringements relating to copyright material. Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form. Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong. Recommended Citation Price, Nathan, Game of two halves: preparing young elite rugby players for a future beyond the game, PhD thesis, Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong, 2007. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/46 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 2007 Game of two halves: preparing young elite rugby players for a future beyond the game Nathan Price University of Wollongong Recommended Citation Price, Nathan, Game of two halves: preparing young elite rugby players for a future beyond the game, PhD thesis, Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong, 2007. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/46 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] GAME OF TWO HALVES: PREPARING YOUNG ELITE RUGBY PLAYERS FOR A FUTURE BEYOND THE GAME A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSPHY from UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG By Nathan Price (Bachelor of Business Studies, Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Studies) The Faculty of Education 2007 CERTIFICATION I, Nathan Price declare that this thesis, submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy, in the Department of Education, University of Wollongong, is wholly my own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. The document has not been submitted for qualifications at any other academic institution. Signed Nathan Price Date: n ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis has taken a long time, but without the support and assistance from a number of people I'm not sure if it would have come this far. I was always told that the PhD was a journey, but now I realise how it can shape your life over those years. The learning curve at times has been steep, not just in research but also in terms of life experiences. Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude to the New Zealand Rugby Union for granting access to the players and for financial support during my data collection. I would also like to thank the New South Wales Rugby Union for providing access to players and management staff. I would like to thank my supervisors Associate Professor Peter Kell and Professor Jan Wright for their guidance, support and knowledge, and assisting me to expand my critical thinking and ability as a researcher. I would like to thank friends and colleagues Ken, Wayne, Raelene, Rachel, Dylan and Katie for engaging in discussions of the thesis and beyond and providing support and much needed time out for a coffee. To my family, thanks for your support and understanding, and telling me you were proud of me in both the ups and downs. Finally, to my partner Tamsyn, to whom I owe a great deal. Thank you for your unwavering love, support and belief in me, as well as the many hours of dreaded formatting and proof reading. I'm not sure how I would have come through this without you. This thesis was supported by a four-month completion scholarship from the Faculty of Education. iii ABSTRACT The rise to professionalisation in 1995, and the increasing globalisation of rugby has changed the way the sport is viewed and engaged in by talented young athletes. The shift to a more professional work environment, high salaries, and the increased opportunity for young men who, once they leave school, and sometimes before, to seek employment in this workforce, has altered the way young players look, think and behave. With the shift to professionalism, the situation for young elite rugby players has become critical. Many view rugby as a career option, sacrificing education and training in pursuit of lucrative contracts, unaware of the realities of the occupation in which a relatively high number of players 'don't make it'. Those young players who are unsuccessful in their pursuit of a rugby career are often left directionless with no education or training in an alternative occupation or profession. In elite sport, retirement can be extremely difficult to cope with if athletes are not adequately prepared, or have not planned for such an event. This lack of preparation can leave athletes vulnerable to the challenges of retirement. The need for knowledge in this study relates to how young elite rugby players make sense of rugby as work, how they understand themselves as athletes, and how they make sense of their opportunities for a life outside rugby. The opportunities, barriers and needs for career development, planning and education to prepare young athletes for a life outside elite rugby and the ways these young men negotiate their lives and their alternatives are largely unknown. This thesis examines the experiences of young men who are part of the first generation of players who will only experience rugby in its professional format, and provides them with a voice as they pursue work as professional rugby players. More specifically, this study explores issues such as rugby as an occupational choice for young men, how players perceive, and are subsequently prepared for, a life outside rugby, their identification with the sport, and their needs and concerns as elite young rugby players. To gain a further understanding of the resources and opportunities available to assist in the development of these young men and their preparation for a life outside rugby, the study also explores coaches' and managements' perspectives and the ways in which they approach these relatively new issues facing young athletes. Investigation in this area of young athletes' experience has been limited, with the majority of research iv focusing on recently retired athletes, or those more established in their professional sport career, as opposed to those beginning to embark on, or pursuing a career in professional sport. There has been little research into the career experiences of elite young rugby players as a basis of understanding how best to prepare them for their future experiences both during, and post-elite athletic performance. The study employed a largely qualitative methodology, interviewing twenty-five young elite rugby players (18-22 years of age) in New Zealand and New South Wales, and eight coaching and management staff from rugby union and the wider sports industry. The use of semi-structured in-depth interviews enabled a rich understanding of the experiences of elite young rugby players from the perspectives of the players, coaches and management. A mixed mode approach was used to a limited extent, where additional quantitative data was collected through the use of a questionnaires provided to one group of participants. The main themes that emerged from this inquiry formed key considerations for the preparation of elite young rugby players in their future beyond rugby. These considerations highlighted the career development needs, barriers, opportunities and experiences of elite young rugby players as they pursued a career in professional rugby. Among others, the analysis of interviews identified an identity heavily invested in rugby, unrealistic predictions of their future rugby life cycle, the structure of the work, and support from their clubs and academies as key inhibitors to players career development and post-rugby planning. The study revealed that the involvement in elite rugby largely does not facilitate the accomplishment of developmental tasks that athletes require later in life. In many cases these young men are sacrificing the potential breadth of their future selves in the pursuit of a rugby career. Thus, the study points to the need for a greater focus in the support, assistance and resources for young elite rugby players in their career development and planning for their post-rugby future. These young men are in many cases at risk of having no tangible entry into an occupation
Recommended publications
  • Why Has Soccer Not Become the Code of Football in Australia
    Deakin Research Online Deakin University’s institutional research repository DDeakin Research Online Research Online This is the authors final peer reviewed version of the item published as: Hay, Roy 2006-04, Our wicked foreign game : why has association football (Soccer) not became the main code of football in Australia?, Soccer and society, vol. 7, no. 2-3, pp. 165-186. Copyright : 2006, Taylor & Francis ..‘Our wicked foreign game’: Why has Association Football (soccer) not become the main code of football in Australia?∗ Roy Hay Sports and Editorial Services Australia Introduction Soccer, ‘our wicked foreign game’, is not the main code of football in any state in Australia, but it is probably the second in most states if measured by spectator attendance or participation.1 In Victoria, Australian rules is number one, while in New South Wales, rugby league is the dominant code. The phenomenon is not unique to Australia. None of the white dominions of the old British Empire nor the former British colony the United States has soccer as its main code, with the exception of South Africa where the non-white population has taken up Association Football.2 In most of these countries soccer is characterised as a migrants’ game, even though many of the migrants playing or watching the game are of second or later generations. Explanations for the secondary position of soccer in Australia ought therefore to be compared with those for these other countries, and if we seek a comprehensive explanation of this phenomenon then the Australian story ought not to vary too much from those applied to the others, unless it can be clearly shown that Australian experience and conditions were indeed different.3 This article concentrates on the domestic experience in Australia, with a view to introducing and outlining some of the issues which might be drawn into an effective international comparison.
    [Show full text]
  • Rugby World Cup Quiz
    Rugby World Cup Quiz Round 1: Stats 1. The first eight World Cups were won by only four different nations. Which of the champions have only won it once? 2. Which team holds the record for the most points scored in a single match? 3. Bryan Habana and Jonah Lomu share the record for the most tries in the final stages of Rugby World Cup Tournaments. How many tries did they each score? 4. Which team holds the record for the most tries in a single match? 5. In 2011, Welsh youngster George North became the youngest try scorer during Wales vs Namibia. How old was he? 6. There have been eight Rugby World Cups so far, not including 2019. How many have New Zealand won? 7. In 2003, Australia beat Namibia and also broke the record for the largest margin of victory in a World Cup. What was the score? Round 2: History 8. In 1985, eight rugby nations met in Paris to discuss holding a global rugby competition. Which two countries voted against having a Rugby World Cup? 9. Which teams co-hosted the first ever Rugby World Cup in 1987? 10. What is the official name of the Rugby World Cup trophy? 11. In the 1995 England vs New Zealand semi-final, what 6ft 5in, 19 stone problem faced the English defence for the first time? 12. Which song was banned by the Australian Rugby Union for the 2003 World Cup, but ended up being sang rather loudly anyway? 13. In 2003, after South Africa defeated Samoa, the two teams did something which touched people’s hearts around the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Funding Sport Fairly an Income-Contingent Loans Scheme for Elite Sports Training
    THE AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE Funding Sport Fairly An income-contingent loans scheme for elite sports training Background Australian taxpayers spent more than $97 million on elite sportspeople in 2001-2002 (ASC 2002). A significant proportion of this expenditure went on providing Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) ‘scholarships’ to 673 athletes and grants to national sporting bodies for their elite athlete programs (ASC 2002). Major expenses associated with assistance to elite sportspeople include the provision of training facilities (such as swimming pools and playing fields), coaching, medical advice and international and domestic travel costs associated with competition. While there is no doubt that the Commonwealth Government has a role to play in encouraging excellence in all fields of human endeavour, be they sporting, educational or artistic, there is an important equity issue associated with providing taxpayer funded training to individuals who go on to earn millions of dollars per year from their sporting prowess. As shown in Table 1, sportspeople who make it to the top of some sports earn extremely high incomes. For some, sporting success while young can also be translated into high incomes in later life either through sponsorship, public speaking or commentary positions. Many would question the fairness of a system that delivers huge incomes to a handful of elite sporting stars; but that is how the sports market works. However, there are good grounds for taking action to recover some of the publicly funded costs of training sportspeople who go on to earn very high incomes. In order to address this issue it is proposed that the Government introduce a HECS- type scheme whereby those sportspeople who go on to earn high incomes would be required to repay the costs incurred in the public provision of their training and development.
    [Show full text]
  • Bruise Brothers
    BRUISE BROTHERS THE BRUISE BROTHERS Fight the power: Sione Lauaki and Jerry Collins. They were the All Blacks’ ‘Bruise No 6 nightmares the Lions had On the eve of the first British And there cannot be a tribute Brothers’ – rattling ribs on the to confront in their first two and Irish Lions tour to these to the game they play in heaven field and tickling them off it. Tests on the 2005 series. The shores since that series 12 years without honouring the passing Firstly Jerry Collins, then Sione pain continued in the third Test ago, companions and friends of another rugby icon who has Lauaki, who replaced him off the when Lauaki started at No 8 and remember the two rugby giants been lost to us: the great Jonah bench, were the double-impact Collins at No 6. taken far too young. Lomu. LEE UMBERS reports 124 RUGBY NEWS 2017 RUGBY NEWS 2017 125 BRUISE BROTHERS: SIONE LAUAKI He made our team BELIEVE ll Blacks assistant coach Ian around Mils [Muliaina] and scored in Foster recalls Sione Lauaki the corner and we won a tight game. as a wrecking ball of an “That little moment of his – the team attacking player with a big grew a lot of belief and went on to Asmile and a huge heart. make the play-offs for the first time.” “I loved coaching him and really That same year, Lauaki showcased cared for him as a person,” Foster says. his remarkable talents on the He first noticed the powerhouse international stage. Playing for the loose forward when he was coaching Pacific Islanders, he scored Test tries ‘Once he got his Waikato in 2002/2003 and Lauaki was against Australia, New Zealand and hands on you, bending and breaking defensive lines South Africa, all within 15 days – an for Auckland.
    [Show full text]
  • Michael Jordan Tops List of Greatest Sports Stars of All Time Tiger Woods and Babe Ruth Are Number 2 and 3 on List
    Press Contact: Alyssa Hall Harris Interactive, Inc. 212-539-9749 [email protected] Michael Jordan Tops List of Greatest Sports Stars of All Time Tiger Woods and Babe Ruth are number 2 and 3 on list New York, N.Y. — October 28, 2009 — The debates are legendary – who is the greatest baseball player of all time? Tiger versus Nicklaus? Well, when those adults who follow at least one sport are asked which two are the greatest sports stars of all time, basketball legend Michael Jordan comes in at number one followed by Tiger Woods at number two and the man who “built” a stadium, Babe Ruth comes in at number three. These are some of the results of The Harris Poll ® of 2,293 adults, of whom 1,494 follow at least one sport, surveyed online between October 5 and 12, 2009 by Harris Interactive ®. The man who called himself “the greatest”, boxer Mohammed Ali is number 4, while quarterback Brett Favre who has yet to stay retired is number five on the greatest sport star list. Next on the top ten are another quarterback, Joe Montana at number 6 and hockey legend, Wayne Gretzky at number 7. There is still another quarterback, Peyton Manning , tied for number 8 along with baseball’s Ted Williams. Finally, tied for number 10 are baseball’s Hank Aaron and basketball phenomenon LeBron James. This top ten list (actually 11 because of the tie for number 10) includes 3 baseball players, 3 football players and two basketball players. Greatest baseball player Each sport is different, so each sport has different players that are deemed the greatest.
    [Show full text]
  • A Community Conservation Project Living Legends Planting Projects
    A COMMUNITY CONSERVATION PROJECT LIVING LEGENDS PLANTING PROJECTS Northland North Harbour Auckland Bay of Plenty Waikato King Country Taranaki/ Hawke’s Bay Wanganui Manawatu Living Legends was a community Horowhenua/ Kapiti conservation project that was Tasman established in 2011 to celebrate and Wellington/ leave a legacy of New Zealand’s Wairarapa Buller/ hosting of Rugby World Cup. West Coast 17 community planting projects Canterbury were undertaken, each honouring Mid/South a local “Rugby Legend”. Canterbury Over three years thousands of Kiwis joined these Rugby Legends Otago to plant 170,000 native trees Managed by: throughout New Zealand. Southland 2 A CONSERVATION LEGACY A nationwide planting project of the scale of Living Legends will benefit New Zealanders for years to come. Living Legends plantings will enhance some of our most special parks and reserves, these are places where we reflect, refresh and can escape the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. Trees play an important role in moderating our climate, improving our air quality, providing homes for native wildlife and landscapes for us to enjoy. The idea for Living Legends was birthed in 2009, when The Tindall Foundation asked conservation organisation Project Crimson to lead a project that would create a green legacy during Rugby World Cup 2011. Meridian and the Department of Conservation then joined the project to give New Zealanders and international visitors the opportunity to enjoy and contribute to the environment. The Department of Conservation helped the Living Legends project team to select appropriate public spaces for these plantings to ensure that all “Living Legends was an amazing achievement.
    [Show full text]
  • Sport and Identity Was, to a Great Extent, Influenced by My Personal Interests
    FAN IDENTITY AND IDENTIFICATION DRIVERS - STOKING THE FLAMES OF THE PHOENIX By Markus Rühl A thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management Studies Victoria University of Wellington 2010 ABSTRACT ABSTRACT Fans are of highest importance for the financial success of sports clubs (van Leeuwen, Quick, & Daniel, 2002). However, the nature of fandom and the meaning that fans place upon their relationship with a sports club varies and different degrees of fandom exist (Wann & Branscombe, 1990). Whilst much research has been done on the assessment of fan identification, little work has contributed to its practical application. For example, for sport marketers to actively strengthen their fan base, more than a mere assessment of the identification level of their fans is necessary. It is suggested that knowledge about the underlying identification drivers of fans with different identification levels is needed to inform any managerial action. This research aims to enhance understanding about the relationship between the level of fan identification and the drivers of identification, and it does so, via a study of New Zealand‟s only professional football club Wellington Phoenix FC. A cross-sectional convenience sample of 517 Wellington Phoenix fans was surveyed using both online and researcher administered/respondent completed questionnaires. The Sports Spectator Identification Scale (Wann & Branscombe, 1993) was used to measure fan identification, and participants were categorized into five identification levels. Findings show that ten of 16 identification drivers are correlated with the identification level. Of particular interest are findings that indicate a mediating impact of the identification level on specific relationships.
    [Show full text]
  • Legacy – the All Blacks
    LEGACY WHAT THE ALL BLACKS CAN TEACH US ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF LIFE LEGACY 15 LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP JAMES KERR Constable • London Constable & Robinson Ltd 55-56 Russell Square London WC1B 4HP www.constablerobinson.com First published in the UK by Constable, an imprint of Constable & Robinson Ltd., 2013 Copyright © James Kerr, 2013 Every effort has been made to obtain the necessary permissions with reference to copyright material, both illustrative and quoted. We apologise for any omissions in this respect and will be pleased to make the appropriate acknowledgements in any future edition. The right of James Kerr to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. A copy of the British Library Cataloguing in Publication data is available from the British Library ISBN 978-1-47210-353-6 (paperback) ISBN 978-1-47210-490-8 (ebook) Printed and bound in the UK 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 Cover design: www.aesopagency.com The Challenge When the opposition line up against the New Zealand national rugby team – the All Blacks – they face the haka, the highly ritualized challenge thrown down by one group of warriors to another.
    [Show full text]
  • Holiday Workbook Rusa
    RUGBY UNION SA RESOURCE WORKBOOK THE THREE R’s RUSA RUGBY UNION RESOURCE BOOK FOR KIDS STUCK AT HOME __________________________________________ This Booklet Belongs to Dear Rugby players and parents, Right now, we know that you’re unable to attend rugby sessions at your clubs, to see your mates and have fund playing rugby. So, we thought we would give you some fun ideas and activities to try at home, and we hope with the help of your parents you can share some of the amazing things you get done. Stay safe, look after your family, and we will see you soon. From all the team at Rugby Union SA. Section 1 This first section is aimed at our Junior Participation Rugby players – all those from ages 5 to 10. But we also encourage everyone to have a go at anything in this book – and with the help of parents or caregivers to share with the rugby community what you’ve done. As rugby players we need to make sure that we eat the right foods Drink plenty of water – at and drink the right drinks! least 5-8 glasses per day! SOMETIMES foods – and only in small Have a look at the diagram above amounts! – do you eat and drink all the right things? Why Do We Play Rugby Can you find the words below? Club Healthy Running Family Learning Teammates Friends Outside Training Fun Practice Why else do you play rugby? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
    [Show full text]
  • Dossier Rugby US Emilie Dudon
    DOSSIER XXXXXXXXX TEXTESMADE : XXXXXX IN USA Voyage au cœur de la Major League, élite semi-profession- nelle du rugby américain qui rassemble aujourd’hui sept équipes dont une, basée à Austin, est entraînée par Alain Hyardet. Notre sport arrivera-t-il à se faire une place dans un pays qui peut devenir un nouveau lieu de développement ? REPORTAGE À HOUSTON D’ÉMILIE DUDON PHOTOS NORMA SALINAS, DAVE SNOOK ET ICONSPORT Midi Olympique Magazine 24 Midi Olympique Magazine 25 DOSSIER analyse UN NOUVEAU MONDE Le nouveau championnat professionnel américain, la Major League Rugby, qui a débuté fin avril et se terminera début juillet, bat son plein. Cette nouvelle compétition n’en est qu’à ses balbutiements mais ambi- tionne, d’ici dix ou quinze ans, de devenir l’une des meilleures de la planète rugby. En attendant, tout est à construire. TEXTE : ÉMILIE DUDON om-pom girls en jupettes, hymne na- complètement différente. Et les diri- tional chanté la main sur le cœur, pro- geants de la MLR veulent mettre toutes duits dérivés en pagaille et feux d’artifice les chances de leur côté pour réussir là à la fin de certains matchs… Aux États- où le Pro Rugby avait échoué il y a deux Unis, le sport professionnel est toujours ans. Lancé avec cinq équipes en 2016, le un show et le rugby n’échappe pas à la premier championnat professionnel Avant chaque rencontre, place à l’hymne américain. Moment d’émotion pour Todd Clever (cheveux longs), règle. Le niveau de jeu, qui est à peu américain n’avait pas survécu plus d’une ancien capitaine de l’équipe des États-Unis, et ses coéquipiers d’Austin.
    [Show full text]
  • Mitsubishi Estate Super Rugby
    February 22, 2018 PRESS RELEASE Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. Mitsubishi Estate scores a try to become the Sponsor of 2018 Super Rugby Title Sponsor! ~ ~ Mitsubishi Estate Super Rugby Mitsubishi Estate Company Limited (MEC) is proud to announce that it has become the 2018 Super Rugby Title Sponsor. This title sponsorship is designated for the home games of the Sunwolves, the team to represent Japan in the Super Rugby where 15 teams from 5 countries (Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Republic of South Africa, and Argentina) go head to head. Season opener for the Sunwolves will be held on February 24th at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo against the Brumbies, the defending champion of the Australian Conference. The Sunwolves will have eight home games (six games in Tokyo, scheduled to be held one game in Singapore and one game to be decided). Under this sponsorship, MEC’s company logo will appear various locations at the game venues. The players of the Sunwolves show the country pride and courage through their relentless hard work and unyielding fighting spirit, which coincide with MEC’s basic principles cultivated through enriching urban lives in the form of real estate developments under the brand slogan of “Forever Taking on New Challenges”. Through this sponsorship, MEC hopes to contribute to the overall success of Super Rugby together with other Japanese sponsors. Super Rugby, which will open its 2018 season at the end of February 2018 and the games will be broadcasted internationally. The Sunwolves (Home: Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo) joined the league in 2016 as a representative of Japan.
    [Show full text]
  • Rugby's Rise in the United States: the Impact of Social Media on an Emerging Sport
    Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 2014-11-01 Rugby's Rise in the United States: The Impact of Social Media On An Emerging Sport Benjamin James Kocher Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Communication Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Kocher, Benjamin James, "Rugby's Rise in the United States: The Impact of Social Media On An Emerging Sport" (2014). Theses and Dissertations. 4332. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4332 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Rugby’s Rise in the United States: The Impact of Social Media on an Emerging Sport Benjamin Kocher A thesis submitted to the faculty of Brigham Young University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Jared Johnson, Chair Clark Callahan Dale Cressman Department of Communications Brigham Young University November 2014 Copyright © 2014 Benjamin Kocher All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT Rugby’s Rise in the United States: The Impact of Social Media on an Emerging Sport Benjamin Kocher Department of Communications, BYU Master of Arts In this study, the grounded theory approach was used to conduct a qualitative study about the effects the media has on rugby players in the United States. This study involved in-depth interviews with American-born-and-raised rugby players from the top rugby colleges and universities in the United States.
    [Show full text]