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First team schoolboy rugby players’ understanding of their future career trajectories

Thesis (MEdPsych) --Stellenbosch University, 2016

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Main Author: Ellis, Tiaan
Other Authors: Perold, Mariechen
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2016
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access_status_str Open Access
author Ellis, Tiaan
author2 Perold, Mariechen
author_browse Ellis, Tiaan
Perold, Mariechen
author_facet Perold, Mariechen
Ellis, Tiaan
author_sort Ellis, Tiaan
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MEdPsych) --Stellenbosch University, 2016
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/100279
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:40:57.522Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2016
publishDateRange 2016
publishDateSort 2016
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/100279 First team schoolboy rugby players’ understanding of their future career trajectories Ellis, Tiaan Perold, Mariechen Grobbelaar, Heinrich Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology School rugby -- First team players UCTD Rugby football -- South Africa -- Western Cape Professional rugby players Rugby football players -- South Africa Vocational guidance -- South Africa -- Western Cape Thesis (MEdPsych) --Stellenbosch University, 2016 ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Over the past two decades, the growing global popularity of rugby has led to professional rugby becoming a lucrative career prospect with bigger contracts, sponsorships and increased specialization in the sport. It is, therefore, not surprising that many high-school learners aspire to become professional players. However, only a small percentage of these players may fulfil their ambitions. This study explored how first-team rugby players at school understand their future career paths, and how they plan for it. The investigation also explored how rugby players perceive their identity, the role of rugby in this regard and their understanding of the transitions inherent to a career in rugby. A social constructionist and systemic meta-theoretical framework was employed to shed light on the findings. It focused on how participants’ reality can be shaped through social interaction, but also through cultural and historical influences. For this qualitative study, seven participants were selected by means of purposive sampling. Selection criteria stipulated that the participants had to be in grade 11 or 12, and in their school’s first-team rugby squad. Data were collected by means of semi-structured individual interviews, followed by a focus-group interview. The coach of the first team and the grade-12 head teacher also completed an open-ended questionnaire. Data were analysed through thematic analysis. The three main themes derived were identity formation, the notion of rugby and career opportunities. Each theme consisted of various subthemes and categories of codes. The findings indicated that the participants regard the first three years after completing school as a crucial period and an indicator for a successful future career in rugby. The process of identity formation, arising from participation as first-team players, influenced the way they perceived and planned for their future careers. Selection for a provincial side strongly influenced the career aspirations of the participants. It might be useful to develop scholastic and career counselling programmes to facilitate the holistic development of talented schoolboy rugby players in South Africa. Such programmes can focus on a balanced development of sport specific and academic skills, including psychological and practical preparation for the very specific nature of a career as a professional rugby player. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die wêreldwye gewildheid van rugby het die afgelope twee dekades baie toegeneem. Dit het gelei daartoe dat professionele rugby ‘n winsgewende loopbaanvooruitsig geraak het met groter kontrakte, borgskappe en verhoogde spesialisering in die sport. Dit is dus nie verbasend dat baie hoërskool leerders daarna streef om professionele spelers te word nie. Daar is egter slegs ‘n klein persentasie spelers wat suksesvol daarin is om hierdie ambisie te verwesenlik. Hierdie studie het ondersoek ingestel na die wyse waarop eerstespan rugbyspelers op skool hul toekomstige loopbaanroetes verstaan. Die ondersoek het ook verken hoe rugbyspelers hul identiteit beskou, die rol van rugby in hierdie verband en hul begrip van die loopbaanfases wat inherent is aan ‘n loopbaan in rugby. ‘n Sosiaal konstruktivistiese en sistemiese metateoretiese raamwerk is aangewend om lig te werp op die bevindinge. Dit het gefokus op hoe deelnemers se werklikhede gevorm kan word deur middel van sosiale interaksie, sowel as deur kulturele en geskiedkundige invloede. Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie het sewe deelnemers gekies deur middel van doelgerigte steekproeftrekking. Keuringskriteria het bepaal dat leerders in Graad 11 of 12 en in die skool se eerstespan oefengroep moes wees. Data is ingesamel deur middel van semigestruktureerde individuele onderhoude, gevolg deur ‘n fokusgroep onderhoud. Die afrigter van die eerstespan en Graad 12 hoof het ook ‘n oop-einde vraelys voltooi. Data is ontleed deur middel van tematiese analise. Drie hooftemas is afgelei, naamlik identiteitsformulering, die beskouing van rugby en loopbaangeleenthede. Elke tema bestaan uit verskeie subtemas en koderings-kategorieë. Die navorsingsbevindings het aangedui dat deelnemers die eerste drie jaar na voltooiing van skool as belangrike periode en aanduider van ‘n suksesvolle loopbaan in rugby beskou. Die proses van identiteitsvorming, wat voortspruit uit deelname as eerstespan-speler van die skool, het ‘n invloed gehad op die wyse waarop eerstespan-spelers hul toekomstige loopbane vooruitskou en beplan. Deelname aan provinsiale spanne het ‘n sterk invloed op die loopbaan vooruitsigte van deelnemers gehad. Dit kan nuttig wees om skolastiese en loopbaanvoorligting programme te ontwikkel wat holistiese ontwikkeling van talentvolle skole rugbyspelers in Suid-Afrika sal fasiliteer. Sulke programme kan fokus op ‘n gebalanseerde ontwikkeling van sportspesifieke en akademiese vaardighede, insluitende sielkundige en praktiese voorbereiding vir die hoogs spesifieke aard van ‘n loopbaan as professionele rugbyspeler. Masters 2016-12-22T13:35:25Z 2016-12-22T13:35:25Z 2016-12-01 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/100279 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xi, 171 pages : illustrations (some colour) application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle School rugby -- First team players
UCTD
Rugby football -- South Africa -- Western Cape
Professional rugby players
Rugby football players -- South Africa
Vocational guidance -- South Africa -- Western Cape
Ellis, Tiaan
First team schoolboy rugby players’ understanding of their future career trajectories
title First team schoolboy rugby players’ understanding of their future career trajectories
title_full First team schoolboy rugby players’ understanding of their future career trajectories
title_fullStr First team schoolboy rugby players’ understanding of their future career trajectories
title_full_unstemmed First team schoolboy rugby players’ understanding of their future career trajectories
title_short First team schoolboy rugby players’ understanding of their future career trajectories
title_sort first team schoolboy rugby players understanding of their future career trajectories
topic School rugby -- First team players
UCTD
Rugby football -- South Africa -- Western Cape
Professional rugby players
Rugby football players -- South Africa
Vocational guidance -- South Africa -- Western Cape
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/100279
work_keys_str_mv AT ellistiaan firstteamschoolboyrugbyplayersunderstandingoftheirfuturecareertrajectories