National Rugby League's Junior Performance and Participation Initiatives: Evaluating Strategies (2019)
National Rugby League's Junior Performance and Participation Initiatives: Evaluating Strategies (2019) Author Usher, Wayne Published 2019 Version Version of Record (VoR) Copyright Statement © 2019 Griffith University and NRL. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the publisher’s website for further information. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/387528 Link to published version https://www.playrugbyleague.com Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au National Rugby League's Junior Performance and Participation Initiatives Evaluating Strategies (2019) Dr Wayne Usher Senior Lecturer / Researcher, Griffith University INTRODUCTION Sport is a part of Australia’s national identity and has become a social capital. Australia is a highly active nation, with a significant number of children reported as participating in sport and/or non-sport-related physical activity (ASC, 2017). Rugby League is one of four football codes boasted across the country; however, its participation rates are significantly lower than other club sports, due to it being restricted to specific regions of Australia and viewed as a ‘male only’ sport. Therefore, it is imperative that the National Rugby League’s (NRL) future participation strategies adopt and reflect national and international ‘best practices’, so as to maintain and heighten positive and quality sporting opportunities that are aimed to increase junior participation / retention, as well as build participants’ skills and personal development. With this in mind, the review presented, has attempted to demonstrate the clear alignment between the NRL’s Player Development Framework (PDF) and national / international movements concerning changes in junior sporting models, with particular attention directed towards legitimising its approach concerning the implementation of the 7 initiatives across the 5 testing centres (Ipswich, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Toowoomba and Victoria) in 2019.
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