Scottish Rugby Club Player Survey

Transcription

1 Scottish Rugby Men s Player Survey 2015 / 2016

2 2 Scottish Rugby Club Player Survey

3 Contents Executive Summary 5 1. Introduction 6-8 Society Changes Unfulfilled Fixtures Player Retention Understanding the Environment 2. Survey Scope 9-10 Sample Size and Significance Region Level Age Methods and Question Topics Limitations Summary of Scope Findings 3. Player Profile Findings Age Size Education Length of Playing Career Playing Level Summary of Player Profile Findings 4. Player Participation Findings Main Motivations for Playing Factors that Keep Participants Playing Factors that Stop Participation 5. Playing Structure Findings Scheduling of the Season Length of Season Additional Adult Grades Summary of Playing Structure Findings 6. Emerging Themes 24 Existing Themes New Theme Summary of Emerging Themes 7. Conclusion References 26 Example Survey Contents Leadership. Enjoyment. Achievement. Engagement. Respect 3

4 Tables & Figures Figures Title Page 1 Reserve League unfulfilled fixtures 7 2 Age of registered players 2014/ Age of players as a proportion of player registrations/completed surveys 10 4 Age distribution 11 5 Drop in numbers/responses from 17to 18-year-old players Weight of respondents 12 7 Height of respondents 12 8 Weight related to age 13 9 Last education institution attended School background When players started Recently thought of stopping Length of playing career Level of respondents Percentage of age groups at each level Percentage of level at each age group Weight related to level of competition Level by school background Main reasons for playing Factors that keep participants playing Factors that stop participation Outline of preferred structures Preferred length of season with scheduling Length of season (shorter) and thought of stopping Additional grades of rugby 23 Tables 1 Responses and number of clubs by region 9 2 Grouping of respondents by league and team 9 3 Average age of respondents 11 4 Scottish Rugby Club Player Survey

5 Executive Summary Background Society has seen many changes in many areas including technology, communications, employment and leisure since the 1970s. In the last 42 years since Scottish Rugby first launched official leagues there s been some tinkering of the structure but, by and large, it s still the same. Leagues start in the autumn and are played (home and away) until the spring, almost entirely on a Saturday afternoon. Is this a major reason for players dropping out as they move from school and youth to adult rugby? Is it a contributory factor to a rise in unfulfilled fixtures (around 30% in reserve team rugby)? Our survey investigates: What determines if someone plays rugby How to increase participation and reduce drop-out Working with Edinburgh Napier University we conducted questionnaires with around 10% of the adult male players (from all ages, levels and regions of the game). >30% 43% Findings A typical player will: Be in his mid-20s Be slightly larger than the average man Come from a state school Have started playing before they were 15 Have attended college or university Be playing in reserve or regional leagues Play mainly for enjoyment, social, fitness and competitive reasons Expect to play until age of 35 but may recently have thought about stopping due to lack of time or injuries Be loyal to his club of fixtures in the reserve leagues were unfulfilled of 17 year olds did not progress to adult rugby Be looking for the game to be played at more convenient times and in better weather There are the same number of players aged as over 45 75% of players want to schedule fixtures in better weather 75% of players are playing regional or reserve team rugby 80% of players come from state schools 63% of state school leavers attend college or university What do we need to do? 1. Retain players transitioning into adult rugby a priority for quick and long-lasting benefit to the game 2. Target school leavers moving into higher education 3. Create a structure that makes it more convenient to play; easier to fulfil fixtures; and avoids the worst weather Leadership. Enjoyment. Achievement. Engagement. Respect 5

6 1. Introduction Scottish Rugby, in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University, has conducted an extensive survey of adult male players. This section will outline the rational for conducting the survey before identifying its aims. The report will then provide information on the scope of the survey before presenting the findings (in relation to Player Profile, Player Participation, and Playing Structure). A conclusion will then pull together the findings to help interpret the results, establish a way forward and take the next steps to developing rugby in Scotland. 1.1 Society changes The first Scottish club leagues were formed in , since then society has changed significantly; with recent technological developments the rate of change has increased. This can be demonstrated by the following: When Scotland last won the Grand Slam (in 1990) The World Wide Web (www) was not in use Just one million people had a mobile phone 2 (currently 82.1 million 3 ) 6 % of worker s careers did not exist 4 There were less than 1,960 fitness clubs 5 in the UK (currently there are 6,112 6 ) While society has seen significant changes in many areas, including technology, communication, employment, and leisure, there has been relatively little change in Scottish Rugby s competitions (although occasionally there has been some reorganisation 1 ). The most significant changes have been the introduction of a knock out cup competition in and changing to a five point try in but the competition structure, of Saturday rugby kicking off 2pm - 3pm from late autumn to early spring, has remained constant. Introduction 6 Scottish Rugby Club Player Survey

7 1.2 Unfulfilled fixtures In recent years, there has been an increasing trend of fixtures being unfulfilled, this has been most prevalent in lower and reserve team leagues 8 ; this problem is illustrated in figure 1. It should be noted that cancellations due to extreme weather or unplayable pitches are not included in these figures. These represent fixtures where one or both teams were unable to fulfil the fixture (normally due to lack of players). This is set against a background of overall player numbers, reported by clubs, increasing 9. It appears that more players are now required to fulfil the season s fixtures. There is, on average, just over 38 players per team 14. Figure 1. Reserve League Unfulfilled Fixtures Introduction Leadership. Enjoyment. Achievement. Engagement. Respect 7

8 1.3 Player Retention 43.5% of players aged under 18 years old for 2013/14 did not progress to adult rugby in 2014/15 9. This is the greatest single drop that occurs in any one year and where the largest, longest lasting and most immediate impact, on adult rugby, can be made. Information on this key group is clearly important. 50% drop Figure 2. Age of registered players Understanding the environment For Scottish Rugby to be effective in developing the game it is necessary to understand the environment, the activity and the participants as well as possible. The Adult Male Player Survey can help to do this; by providing information that has never been gathered before. By having a better understanding of players needs and wants it is possible to examine competition structures and guide future development to fulfil players expectations and grow the game. 1.5 Aims of the survey The survey aims to: Engage with all areas, ages, and levels of the adult male playing population. Identify key determinants of participation Executive Summary - What a typical player looks like - What motivates players - What deters players Identify the most appropriate way to increase uptake and reduce drop out - Areas to target/address - Playing formats and structures The significant social change, the trend of unfulfilled fixtures and player retention issues, make it a good time to conduct the survey. The survey should increase understanding, identify key determinants of participation and highlight the most appropriate way to increase uptake and reduce drop out. 8 Scottish Rugby Club Player Survey

9 2. Survey Scope This section outlines the size and significance of the survey and detail how it relates to the registered playing population as a whole (in respect of region, level, and age). It will then provide details of topics and methods of the survey before highlighting some of the limitations. This will help demonstrate the extent that the survey is representative of the whole playing population. 2.1 Size and significance of the survey Surveys from 1,403 male club players aged 18 years of age or older were received, this represented almost 10% of the total adult male playing population 14, It is worth noting that it was easier than anticipated to gather this number or responses; this may indicate the desire of players to put their opinion forward. 1,252 responses were coded and analysed, this large sample provides a margin of error of +/-3.48% at the 99% confidence level. This indicates that the survey is credible and representative, there can be 99% certainty that the responses given are within +/-3.48% of the actual values. 2.2 Regions As Table 1 shows, the number of responses is largely representative of the number of clubs within the region. The percentages of responses from six out of eight regions are within 3.5% of the percentage of total clubs within that region. Region No. of Responses % of Total Responses No. of Clubs % of Total Clubs Borders & East Lothian % 31 17% Central % 15 8% Edinburgh % 23 12% Glasgow North % 38 21% Glasgow South % 24 13% Grampian % 22 12% Highlands & Islands 48 4% 10 5% Tayside & Fife 113 9% 22 12% Total % % Table 1 number of responses from each region 2.3 Level Responses were grouped by level in relation to the league of the club and the team within the club that the individual plays for (see Table 2). The number of respondents increases as the performance level decreases until the lowest performance level. This is expected, as by definition fewer players are able to compete at the top level and regional leagues have progressively fewer clubs with 2nd or 3rd XVs 14. This is of benefit, as most responses are coming from the social player, a key target group as this is where the issues are concentrated and is the area of greatest concern. League Group A Group B Group C Group D Premiership/National st XV 98 2nd XV 30 3rd XV National 2/ st XV 63 2nd XV 17 3rd XV Regional 1/ st XV 110 2nd XV Regional 3/ st XV Total Responses % of responses 15% 22% 37% 26% 15 Table 2 grouping of respondents by league and team Survey Scope Leadership. Enjoyment. Achievement. Engagement. Respect 9

10 2.4 Age Figure 3 shows that the age of players completing the survey is largely representative of the whole playing population; there is a slight under representation of players aged under 19 and an over representation of older players. Figure 3. Age of players as a proportion of player registrations/completed surveys 2.5 Methods and question topics Paper and online versions of the survey were created and distributed through Development Officers, club contacts and social media. Responses were coded and entered into a spreadsheet for statistical analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics. The question topics covered the following areas (a full version of the survey can be found on page 27-28). Personal details: month of birth, age, education institutions attended, heights, and weight Playing details: league of club, normal team within club, region, age stated playing Playing structure preferences: length of season, travel requirements, scheduling of games, grades offered Participation: Reasons for playing, expected length of playing career, likelihood of factors causing players to stop/keep playing. 2.6 Limitations of the survey While the survey is of good size and representative of the adult male playing population there are always going to be some limitations. This section will highlight some of the main limitations to help with the interpretation of results and identify areas for further investigation. Firstly, the survey focuses on adult male club players, this is necessary in order that: trends are more apparent, it addresses specific issues, and it remains a manageable piece of work. Information from females, youth and especially those who have already dropped out would have been useful. Survey Scope Secondly, there is additional information that would be desirable (e.g. breaks in playing, number of games played per season, student teams, ungrouped information, etc.). The omission of some of these items was due to the need to keep the survey a manageable length (to ensure completion). As always there is a learning process, and if repeating the survey some of these elements would be included. A final limitation, that will be highlighted, is that it relies on players completing the survey accurately. There may be few (if any) deliberately misleading responses, but there can be differences between what people say and what they do (a similar issue may be present in the clubs player registration data, used for comparison). Current players are obviously the main group of interest, but responses from ex-players who have recently dropped out would be of great value, but by their nature, their opinions are difficult to obtain. 2.7 Summary of scope of findings This section has demonstrated that the survey has successfully engaged with all parts of the adult playing population and there is a high degree of certainty that these findings are representative of the whole population. 10 Scottish Rugby Club Player Survey

11 3 Player Profile Findings Information gathered from the personal details section of the survey is presented in this section. The main player profile findings will be examined in relation to age, level, size, education and length of career. 3.1 Age Survey results provided more detail on the age of players, by removing the age groupings. This allows the average to be calculated: Mean Age Standard Deviation Median Modes Table 3: Average age of respondents The mean age is higher than might be expected; this is caused by the large total number of players who continue to play aged 40 and beyond (shown by the high standard deviation). The middle value of 27 and the more frequent values of 21 and 24 create a more realistic view of the typical age of a player (76% of players are aged less than 35). Figure 4. Age of respondents The age distribution shown in Figure 4 demonstrates the long tail caused by the retention of older players. However, it does not highlight the fact that there was the same number of responses from players aged under 20 as are over 45. This can be seen as a strength of veteran rugby, however the study fails to establish how much rugby these older groups are playing, although it is often still within league settings. Alternatively these figures could demonstrate the need to retain 18 and 19 year old players. This may have been more evident if the survey had included 17 year olds and they had responded in line with the rest of respondents (8.5%), as shown in Figure 5. Player Profile Findings Leadership. Enjoyment. Achievement. Engagement. Respect 11

12 Figure 5. Drop in numbers/responses from 17(*projected at 8.5% of registered players) to 18 year old (actual) players. This emphasises the large drop out that occurs from year olds which is often attributed to life transitions rather than the sport 10 (although it should be noted that the move from youth to adult rugby also occurs at this time). Life transitions could include; leaving school, starting work, leaving home, starting college/university, starting a family etc. Player numbers pick up at the age of 20, this could be used as an argument for using this as the optimum age to progress to adult rugby. The further detail provided by the survey also shows a significant drop at age 23. This could be seen as supporting the life transition hypothesis, assuming this is where many leave college/university. The survey did not ask about studies or employment, but with 63.1% of publicly funded Scottish school pupils ending up in college or university 16 it is could be a key target area and worth further investigation. Month of birth was recorded as a relative age effect had been reported in rugby (as well as other activities) 17. Relative age effect is where a disproportionate number of participants (normally at performance level) are relatively older due to their birthday falling just after the age cut off. No such effect was found by the survey, at any of the levels examined (it may still exist at representative level). This could be viewed as a positive indication that rugby is a game for all shapes and sizes and not dominated by those that are physically most mature (see size section). This section has highlighted that good retention rates are demonstrated in players age 35 and beyond but also identified transitioning players (particularly those under 19) as being an important group to target. 3.2 Size Anecdotally there is a perception that rugby players are getting bigger, and while there is evidence for this at some levels of the game 18, this has not been investigated at Scottish club level. This section will present information on the size of respondents in comparison to the general. Player Profile Findings Figure 6. Weight of respondents Figure 7. Height of respondents While calculating a true average is impossible due to respondents reporting their size in categories it is possible to state that: 79% of respondents are taller than the average male height of % of respondents are over the average weight of 13.6 stones Scottish Rugby Club Player Survey

13 Figure 8. Weight related to age Figure 8 shows that as players age there is a trend for more players in the heavier weight categories and fewer in the lighter categories. This mirrors a pattern seen in the general population 20, but it is not possible to indicate if this increase in weight is due to development of lean mass or middle age spread. In summary adult male club rugby players are generally larger than the average man and have a tendency to get heavier as they age. Player Profile Findings Leadership. Enjoyment. Achievement. Engagement. Respect 13

14 3.3 Education Anecdotally rugby can be viewed as predominantly an independent school/elitist sport. This section will present some facts (obtained from the survey) that contradict this view. Figure 9. Last education institutions attended The majority of participants did not attend university (attending school only or school and college). 62% of players have been students at some point, this is in line with the general population and highlights the potential of student rugby. College and Universities can provide easy access to a key target of transitioning young people. Figure 10. School background 21 The vast majority (78.4%) of players come from state schools with only a minority of players coming from independent schools. It should be noted that this minority, of 21.6%, is significantly higher than the 4.4% that would be expected if participation was proportionate with the general population. Player Profile Findings Rugby is predominately played by those from state schools but has a small, but disproportionate, number from independent schools. The majority of young people, including rugby players, attend college or university making student rugby an important area (to target key groups) for development. 3.4 Length of rugby playing career The section shall outline the findings of the survey in relation to the playing career of adult male players. It will examine when players started, the age they think of stopping and when they will retire. 14 Scottish Rugby Club Player Survey

15 Figure 11. When players started The above figure shows that the 81% of players have taken up rugby by the time they are 15 and the majority before high school. There is a small but significant increase in uptake in players aged over 19 taking up the sport. Figure 12. Recently thought of stopping 50% of players have / have not recently though about stopping. Older players are more likely to have recently thought about stopping. The mid-20s is when the majority of players start to think about stopping. Considering the high dropout rate (see section 1.3) that occurs with the move to adult rugby it is perhaps surprising that year olds do not show a higher percentage (those that might consider stopping may have already stopped playing). Player Profile Findings Leadership. Enjoyment. Achievement. Engagement. Respect 15

16 Figure 13. Length of playing career The above figure shows the age players started and how long they expect to play; this allowed an estimation of retirement age to be made. A general trend can be seen; the younger players start, the longer they expect to play for. For all (bar the >19 age group) the retirement range included 35-years-old (only a five year range could be given due to categories of age started and length of career). Starting playing early does not burn out players causing them to leave the game. The few late starters (>19) were the exception, and predicted playing into their 40s. Most players start playing before the age of 15 and anticipate playing until they are 35, with the majority only starting to think of stopping in their mid-20s. 3.5 Playing level Player Profile Findings The findings related to level have been left to the end of the Player Profile Findings Section, as they are a key variable that interacts with many of the other areas. The figure below summarises the numbers associated with each level, but the main focus of this section will focus on the relationship between level and age, size, and education. Figure 14. Level of respondents The majority of rugby is played at reserve team and regional rugby. With so many playing at this level it is important to have competition formats that is appropriate to the level. 16 Scottish Rugby Club Player Survey

17 3.5.1 Level and age The figure below shows the percentage of the age groups at each level. The main points from this are: The proportion of players from each age group in the top half of performance level decreases with age The percentage of player from each age group in the bottom half of performance level increases with age The large differences seen in the 34+ group are likely to be due to the extended age category Figure 15. Percentage of age group at each level Figure 16 below shows the percentage of each level in each age group. The main points from this are: There is a relatively even spread of age groups across all levels, with on average the largest of the five age groups being twice the size of the smallest. The majority of participants in the top two levels are aged 18-25, with most players in the top level age In the lower two levels there were more 34+ than any other group (this effect may be exaggerated by the extended age category) Figure 16. Percentage of level by age group Players in higher leagues are more likely to be younger. Player Profile Findings Leadership. Enjoyment. Achievement. Engagement. Respect 17

18 3.5.2 Level and weight This section will focus on the weight of respondents as height remains fairly constant across all levels of the game. Figure 17. Weight related to level of competition The figure above shows lighter players becoming more prevalent as the level decreases while there is an increase in those weighing stone. The two extreme ends of performance illustrate that players are generally bigger at the top level compared to the non-league player. The proportion of players weighing over 16 stone remains relatively constant across the levels. A more detail look at body fat percentage of these players may highlight that weight can remain constant but players at different levels may have different amounts of lean mass Level and education Players from state schools provide the majority of players at all levels but the top level has a higher percentage of players from independents schools (25%) than the other levels (15%). Player Profile Findings Figure 18. Level by school background The majority of adult male club rugby is played at reserve or regional level. Players in the higher leagues are more likely to be younger, heavier and from independent schools than those in the lower leagues. 18 Scottish Rugby Club Player Survey

19 3.6. Summary of Player Profile Findings This section has highlighted that good retention rates are demonstrated in players age 35 and beyond but also identified transitioning players (particularly those under 19) as being an important group to target. The majority of young people (including rugby players) attend college or university making student rugby an important area (to target key groups) for development. Most players start playing before the age of 15 and anticipate playing until they are 35, with the majority only starting to think of stopping in their mid-20s. The survey has found that adult male club rugby players are generally larger than the average man and the older age groups have a tendency to be heavier. Rugby is predominately played by those from state schools but there is a small, but disproportionate, number from independent schools. The majority of adult male club rugby is played at reserve or regional level. Players in the higher leagues are more likely to be younger, heavier and from independent schools than those in the lower leagues. Player Profile Findings Leadership. Enjoyment. Achievement. Engagement. Respect 19

20 4. Player Participation Findings This section will examine the main reasons for playing, factors that keep participants playing, and factors that stop participation. 4.1 Main reasons for playing From the range of options given, the main reasons for playing identified were: enjoyment, social, keep fit, and competition. These reasons did not changes significantly with level or age. Figure 19. Main reasons for playing 4.2 Factors that keep participants playing Figure 20, below, shows the percentage of respondents that indicated factors which were likely/unlikely to keep them playing. Nine of the thirteen factors are more likely than not to keep participants playing. Player Participation Findings Figure 20. Factors that keep participants playing The most common factors likely to have a positive effect largely match the main reasons for playing (contesting a title/competition, social, benefits to health/fitness). A more convenient way to play and loyalty to the club both also scored highly. How club loyalty relates to team spirit (which was least likely to keep participants playing) needs to be explored to better understand this topic. It is unsurprising that more convenient way to play scores highly and weight is added to this in light of time available/required being the second most likely factor to stop participation (see figure 21). 20 Scottish Rugby Club Player Survey

21 4.3 Factors that stop participation It is interesting to note that in only 3/14 factors did a majority indicate that it was likely to stop them playing; this is in comparison to 9/13 that keep them playing. Two of these factors are injury related; time available/required is the other (which was highlighted in the previous section as relating to convenient way to play. Figure 21. Factors that stop participation While injury related factors play a large role in stopping participation it is interesting that a modified version of the game was the third least likely to keep participants playing. This may be explained by respondents being unclear that touch rugby was included as a modified version and that participation in touch rugby would count as keeping playing. 4.4 Summary of Player Participation Findings Most player play for enjoyment, to keep fit, for social reasons and competition. The majority of respondents have more reasons to keep playing than to stop. The top factors that influence participation are: convenience, injury, fitness, loyalty, and social/networking. Player Participation Findings Leadership. Enjoyment. Achievement. Engagement. Respect 21

22 5. Playing Structure Findings This section shall outline the findings of the survey in relation to players preferred playing structures before examining some areas in more detail. By examining the length of season, scheduling of fixtures, and adult grades in more depth a better understanding can be obtained of these situations. Percentage of respondents preferred structures Figure 22. Overview of respondents preferred structures 5.1 Scheduling of the season There is a clear mandate to review the scheduling of the season, with 75% of respondents supporting some sort of change. Avoiding the worst of the weather appears to be the main motivation behind this; a winter break was the most popular method of achieving this. It should be noted that while summer rugby was only preferred by 6% of respondents this was not one of the pre-identified options. Summer rugby was viewed by these individuals as important enough for them to add a specific comment, and may have more weight that the 6% indicates. There appears to be little demand for changing the timings of fixtures, this is somewhat unexpected with, anecdotally, Friday night games popular with players. It may be explained by the survey not overtly stating Friday Night but including it as part of a larger group, or it could be due to the difficulty with travel and/or lights. The success of Friday Night Lights initiative in Ireland may encourage this area to be explored further before ruling it out. Player Structure Findings 5.2 Length of season From figure 23 it appears that the majority are happy with the length of season, however it is important to look at these findings alongside the scheduling results. Only 15.1% wanted to keep the current length and schedule and only 4.8% would keep the schedule and extend the season. So it seems that the majority of players are happy with the length of the season if accompanied with a change to the scheduling. Figure 23. Preferred length of season with scheduling 22 Scottish Rugby Club Player Survey

23 For those that stated a preference for a shorter season it is interesting that 66% of them had recently thought of stopping. This may increase the importance of their opinions. Figure 24. Length of season (Shorter) and thought of stopping 5.3 Additional Adult Grades Figure 25. Additional grades of rugby 32% of respondents stated a preference for additional grades of rugby (e.g. under 20/under 80kg). This is quite a low proportion, but it becomes more significant when considering who has stated this preference. 81% of those who wanted additional grades are either under the age of 27 (the median) or weigh less than 13 stone (below average weight). It appears that the players, eligible for additional grades, would want them created. However many of these players make up the core of club teams and removal of them to play and additional grade would be to the detriment of the club. It seems that growing the numbers of these groups is necessary before developing the additional grade. Alternatively the same number of grades could be kept but age bandings realigned to avoid some of life s largest transitions and widen the opportunities for 18 year olds. 5.4 Summary of playing structure findings There is a clear mandate for reviewing how the season is scheduled. By considering findings in relation to other variables there may also be value in examining the length of season and additional grades for younger/lighter adult players. Player Structure Findings Leadership. Enjoyment. Achievement. Engagement. Respect 23

24 6. Emerging Themes Open ended questions and opportunities to provide comments allowed players to raise issues they felt were relevant. Where topics became a common feature they were identified as emerging themes, these are outlined below. 6.1 Existing emerging themes Health Issues - hurts so much more the day after than it used to respondent 203 Commitments - due to work commitments some of the travel was too far away for me to play every game respondent 160 Weather conditions - less enjoyment of game during winter months (if it isn t cancelled) when the games become more of a slog on a muddy pitch rather than free running attractive rugby in better conditions respondent 723 Game structure - our season is dragged out over 10 months and broken up by call offs with games rescheduled to accommodate the team calling off, puts more pressure on players and teams that are organised and ready respondent 515 Most of these topics were expanding, or provided specific examples, on topics already covered in the survey. A number of groups within Scottish Rugby are looking at these areas, including the Reserve Team Rugby Working Group that hopes to make recommendations during season 2015/ New Emerging Theme One theme emerged from the survey that had not previously been identified as a significant issue. This was related to the organisation/governance by Clubs/Competition Committees/Scottish Rugby. Organisation/Governance - Treatment of the 2s team from the club was awful, no coach until there was a threat of club losing money due no not getting a team together. Surely aim should be to get as many people playing on a Saturday as possible and not punishing them for trying to get a team on the park respondent 380 Emerging Themes There were a number of strands within the area of organisation/governance, including: levels of support, regulations, club politics, and distribution of resource. The comments were often based on personal and specific experiences that had created a perception that may not be a true reflection of the larger situation. In some cases both sides of an issue were cited, by different respondents, as needing addressed (e.g. need to be stricter with clubs that call off games v need to support clubs struggling for players). Despite these points it is important that clubs/committees/scottish Rugby communicate clearly to create a better understanding of the support provided and the reason behind decisions. 6.3 Emerging Themes Summary The majority of emerging themes were included in the survey and are being addressed. The area of organisation/governance was a topic that had not been addressed elsewhere; there are issues over the validity of comments but the fact that there are these perceptions should not be ignored. The Scottish Rugby family should improve communication to ensure that everyone has an accurate view of the game and understands the rationale behind decisions. 24 Scottish Rugby Club Player Survey

25 7. Conclusion There are some concerning statistics around non-fulfilment of fixtures and retention of youth players. These statistics along with societal changes and the need for information have created a need to conduct the survey. The survey is representative of the adult male playing population and after examining the findings in relation to player profile, participation, and structure preferences, has made the following conclusions. The survey has established that the 76% of players are aged under 35 years old and that retaining 18-year-old players is a key target. While players are generally larger than the average man, size does not seem to restrict participation at club level. State schools provide the vast majority of players but remain a key target due to the scope for increasing numbers and the proportion of their representation. The majority of players will start playing before they are 12 years old and expect to play until they are 35 (although they start to think of stopping around 26). This is probably a reasonable life expectancy for playing; keeping players, at the end of their playing career, involved in other rugby roles is an area to be targeted. The majority of respondents are playing in the reserve and regional leagues. Players from the higher leagues are more likely to be younger/heavier and have an higher chance of being from an independent school than those in the lower leagues. The focus should be around the reserve and regional leagues as this is the largest area and where most non-fulfilment issues are. The main reasons for participation are enjoyment, fitness, competition, social, and loyalty; injury and lack of time are the factors most likely to prevent participation. Developing convenient enjoyable, social and competitive rugby product (both contact and non-contact) has the best chance of keeping players. Altering the playing structure may help make it more convenient and appealing. 75% wish to see some move to play the game in better weather (with most preferring a winter break). Fewer cancellations due to the weather should enable the season to be played in a similar time frame, although there may be support for shortening the duration. There is little support for additional grades other than by those that are most effected; this may be worth considering once stronger numbers mean that these players are not relied upon by clubs. To summarise and make some recommendations: Players transitioning into adult rugby are a key target, especially those from state schools. Players at the end of their playing career should be signposted and supported into other roles The seasons structure should be amended to play in the better weather and make more convenient Changes/initiatives should focus on reserve and regional level Once club playing numbers/fixture fulfilments are stronger additional grades may be valuable Further research in this area with other groups and in more focus in depth manner is required Conclusion Leadership. Enjoyment. Achievement. Engagement. Respect 25

26 8. References 1. Scottish Rugby, Rugby Union: the game comes to Scotland, available from: scottishrugby.org/sites/default/files/editor/docs/rugbyunion-thegamecomestoscotland.pdf accessed 24/6/15 2. Fagan M. (1996), The Mobile Phone Comes of Age, The Independent 20/2/96, available from independent.co.uk/news/uk/the-mobile-phone-finally-comes-of-age html accessed 24/6/15 3. Ofcom (2014), The Communications Market Report, 7/8/ Frey C.B. (2015), New Job Creation in the UK: which regions will benefit most from the digital revolution?, Oxford Martin Programme on Technology and Employment, University of Oxford, UK Economic Outlook, March Marks K. (1998), Gym Industry now worth healthy pounds 1bn, The Independent, 21/8/98, available from independent.co.uk/news/gym-industry-now-worth-healthy-pounds-1bn html accessed 24/6/ Leisure Database Company (2014), Press Release: 2014 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report, available from leisuredb.com/2014-fitness-press-release/ accessed on 24/6/15 7. Rugby Football History (2007) Scoring through the age, available from rugbyfootballhistory.com/scoring.htm accessed on 24/6/ Scottish Rugby (2015), Unfulfilled Fixtures Match Analysis, Competitions Department, Unpublished. 9. Scottish Rugby (2015), Player Audit 2014 and 2015, Domestic Rugby Support Department, Unpublished. 10. Lunn P. et al (2013), Keeping them in the Game: taking up and dropping out of sport and exercise in Ireland, Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute, No.33, September Scottish Rugby (2015) All Players National Summary Report, Crystal Reports, downloaded 24/6/ CheckMarket (2015) Calculate sample size margin of error, available at checkmarket.com/market-research-resources/sample-size-calculator/, accessed 25/6/ Scottish Rugby (2015) Regions gateway page, available at scottishrugby.org/clubs-schools/regions, accessed 25/6/ Scottish Rugby (2015) Team Tracker, Domestic Rugby Support Department, Unpublished 15. Non-league and veteran teams are not illustrated in tabled but their responses were included 16. Scottish Government (2015) High Level Summary of Leavers Destinations, available from gov.scot/topics/statistics/browse/school-education/trenddata, accessed 26/6/ World Rugby (2013) Player Welfare, Relative Age Effect, available from playerwelfare.worldrugby.org/?documentid=110 accessed on 27/6/ Olds T. (2001) The evolution of physique in male rugby union players in the twentieth century, Journal of Sport Sciences, 19, , available from tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/ / #.vzgahwcab1e accessed 29/6/ Office for National Statistics (2010) cited in The Telegraph 30/10/10 available from telegraph.co.uk/women/mother-tongue/ /mr-and-mrs-average-revealed.html accessed 1/7/ Scottish Government (2012) Obesity Scottish Health Survey, Main report Volume 1, section 7 available from gov.scot/publications/2013/09/3684/11 accessed on 30/6/15. References 21. Scottish Council of Independent Schools (2014), Facts and Statistics, available from scis.org.uk/facts-and-statistics/ accessed 30/6/ Scottish Rugby Club Player Survey

27 Example of Player Survey Leadership. Enjoyment. Achievement. Engagement. Respect 27

28 Example of Player Survey 28 Scottish Rugby Club Player Survey

29 SCOTTISH RUGBY BT MURRAYFIELD EDINBURGH EH12 5PJ scottishrugby.org