Introduction
The USA Rugby Union was established in 1975 as an oversight body of the sport (Willing, 2000). Though Rugby is still gaining popularity in the USA, it still has tremendous potential as a viable profession of international standards. This study will seek to identify the areas of improvement USA Rugby Union could utilize in the achievement of this objective.
USA Rugby Union is already experiencing a surge in popularity with over 80,000 citizens registered with the union (Swartout, 2008). In addition, for a player to participate in rugby matches, he/she ought to have registered with the union. Plans to enhance the sport then becomes the primary objective of the union. Already, 18 teams have been registered in the Premier Domestic Tournament and the Super League in 2007. The USA Rugby Union already has 815 referees. Through the efforts of the union, the country has recorded a participation of 1,200 pre-teens already playing organized games. Female participation is however expected to pick with 197 of them playing in the pre-teen level against 1,097 males in the same category. Furthermore, there are 20,000 athletes playing at high school level and U19 clubs (Swartout, 2008). The realization of these statistics has been as a result of the contributions by the USA Rugby Union, but more can still be done by the body.
Already the USA Rugby Union has commendable players who could succeed because of their body fit and speed, which is needed for the sport (Slack, 2004). The union’s manager has identified tremendous potential in the world market and seeks to attract these players. International forums where the sport has flourished including Wellington, Dubai and Hong Kong have proved to be viable areas to showcase rugby performance (Slack, 2004). The USA Rugby Union seeks to attract more players through the same to improve the sport in the country. This study will provide a framework to which the union could use in doing so.
Problem
Problem Definition
USA Rugby Union is still grappling with enhancing rugby as a prominent sport in the country. Participation in the union is at commendable levels but more is yet to be done. The union could also realize more development if they undertook prudent strategies to enhance the sport. One of the biggest problem the union faces is the transition of the sport through elementary level into high school, college and subsequent years. The union is already gearing up for the World cup tournament in 2011and a change of tact to increase participation can’t be over-emphasized (Hoye, 2010).
With increased visibility of the USA in international tournaments, there is a need for the USA rugby union to increase participation. The union has specifically identified that a healthy future of the sport solely depends on getting young energetic players while in their youth. This should then be followed through the school system into college education. The union also identifies the importance of the country to start nurturing the sport at early stages in a players’ life. However, the means to attain this objective still remains unclear.
History of USA Rugby Union
Rugby was first introduced in America by the British. Clubs already existed in San Francisco by 1872. USA Rugby Union has always had a close relationship with American football; this is because hybrid games that entailed rugby and soccer were already being played in many American universities (Menke, 1944). American football had gained a lot of popularity in the American public though it was observed to have a lot of injuries to players. This actually led to the emergence of rugby as a viable, alternative sport. Rugby then became a game of choice thought its popularity was seen to dwindle during World War I (Hoye, 2009). Rugby wasn’t played much in America, up until a decade before 1912. The sport currently has more participation in California than any other state. USA Rugby Union has however played a number of games through the years with notable participation in the world cup events.
Literature on the Problem
Currently USA rugby union experiences participation from both male and female athletes. The rugby union stresses the need of having the best coaches to propel the sport both nationally and internationally. The union has however in the past had sterling coach performance from the likes of Tom Billups and Paul Keeler (Smircish, 1983). There is however more to be done in attracting the best coaches to further contribute to the efforts of the union. In a professional sport like rugby, there is tremendous pressure on coaches to perform. Coaches have been sacked in the past because of poor performance of the teams. It is therefore important the USA Rugby Union get the best coaches who can sustain the pressure to perform. The European Rugby union had to fire their coach in the 2003 season because Saracens lost in the tournament (Collins, 2005). This goes to show the pressure coaches have on delivery of good performance.
Problem Gap
Devising ways through which the union could achieve increased participation in the sports is still a mirage to most sports unions. Programs formulated to champion this course would experience challenges in terms of applicability and objections in some quarters of the society. For example, when American football was gaining popularity and many injuries witnessed, President John F Kennedy wanted to ban the sports on safety grounds (Garland, 2000). USA Rugby Union would still meet the same type of objections as it tries to entrench its popularity at grass root level.
Athletes have also been noted to have other commitments that might infringe on the goal of the union. It would be in the best interest of the union that athletes dedicate their efforts wholly to the positioning of the sport in international limelight. Rugby also demands a lot of physical energy from players regularly through exertion. It would therefore be difficult for the union to maintain peak performance week after week considering the high demands from players (Granville Management Syndicate, 1984).
Cause (Evidence)
Internal Organization Analysis
The USA Rugby Union has been able to qualify in many world cup tournaments. It has also established successful programs in high school and college such as College rugby which is played among all American universities (Menke, 1944). The union has also been able to collaborate with coaches in respective institutions to implement their programs at grass root levels. This goes to show the extensiveness of the union’s activities across America.
The rugby team has also shown exemplary performance in world cup tournaments. The IRB ranks the USA rugby team in the 18th position worldwide. In addition, the Union has also championed the national team to exemplary world cup performance as could be witnessed in 1999 and 2007 (Mulholland, 2008). The men’s team has also won in previous world cup prizes like in 1920. The union therefore has international recognition from other tournaments as well, which have been played in Hong Kong, Dubai and Wellington. This improves the chances of the union to attract professional coaches and get the best players from the field (Nauright, 1999).
The rugby union however experiences challenges out of a growing popularity of American football in the American public. The union also hasn’t received adequate funding for its programs. It is faced with a crisis of sponsorship out of dwindling team performance in International tournaments. Other alternative sports have also limited the entrenchment of rugby in America. This has limited the Union’s efforts to entrench the sports at grass root levels. The union has also been faced with a lack of professional coaches that are able to meet expected union’s standards. The poaching of coaches and players by other unions has also facilitated the loss of key players and coaches. This therefore leads to weak team performance if players are not high performing (Skinner, 2004).
External Organization Analysis
A lot of opportunities still exist for the rugby union in terms of sponsorship. Proper alignment of the union’s strategies with corporate objectives would lead to improved sponsorships. An injection of cash-back into American rugby would lead to a surge in the number of jointly funded club initiatives that would be practiced in local authorities and rugby unions across the country. This would expand the extensiveness of the game at grass root levels.
More can still be done in promoting Rugby as a fun activity, to add on the efforts of the union in entrenching the sport in grass root communities. Providing quality and fun opportunities for America’s young population is vital for the success and spread of the sport in future. The union also identifies this approach as a backup to investments already done in improving the national team. An increase in community developments would enhance the development structure of the union. In addition, it will increase the opportunities young people might get from the sport and also improve coaching activities in clubs and schools (especially to communities not well acquitted with the sport)
More regional contact should also be established by the organization. This strategy would be easily complimented by school and club volunteers, supported by community club officers. This integration of efforts would create a more formidable force in enhancing the initiatives of the union. Provision of strategies by the union in localized planning and coordinated efforts would therefore lead to national growth and an increase in the participation of the sport (Skinner, 2005).
As an important initiative to improving youth participation, street tournaments should be encouraged by the union. Through this initiative a fun atmosphere can be created on a street or parking lot where youngsters can interact while playing the sport. In this forum, a non-contact version of rugby can be enhanced. A resultant increased uptake of rugby as a viable sport will lead to more club participation in future.
More forums should also be encouraged in exposing rugby to the youth because tournaments already in place are orchestrated for more established athletes. The USA rugby union should therefore create a fun-taster session whereby young people in junior high school and elementary levels can give rugby a try. The sessions should however be characterized with much fun, but skill based so as to command a high participation (Gersick, 1989).
USA Rugby Union has also in the past been noted to isolate women participation from the male participation (Smircish, 1983). Amalgamating the two entities would improve female participation and allow the female rugby faction to be part of an all-inclusive rugby family. It would also seek to portray female participation as an integral part in a rugby club. This initiative would then aim to eliminate the notion that female rugby is a separate entity. In light of a projected growth in the sport, it is high time the USA rugby union bring both male and female rugby factions together. An integrated effort would seek to expressly reflect the community it seeks to attract. It would also seek to appreciate the undivided support the union receives from the population and the community at large. An all-inclusive rugby body would express the participation of different athlete category including men, girls, boys, and women. Integration is therefore the next frontier to which rugby will be enhanced.
As the sport quickly gains popularity there’s more that the union could do to motivate the players in ensuring high performance is maintained. Players should be allowed to scale through ranks in club position. A youth organization should also be formed to educate players especially those playing under 15 –under 18 groups to recondition their lifestyles and give it more strength to sustain the pressures of the game. Nutrition and ball skills should also be emphasized by these groups.
The union is however faced with many threats that plague the effectiveness of its programs. The ageing of players in the game affects the overall performance of the team in that, aged players tend to perform poorer than in earlier years. Age also limits the participation of players in rugby tournaments. The union is therefore faced with the problem of sourcing younger players. This therefore stresses the need for the union to embark on initiatives and programs that would attract young players (Skinner, 2005).
Athlete personality would also affect the overall team building effort in that, when players get international limelight, they might fall into detrimental lifestyle traits that would affect the overall team performance. It is therefore important that the union identifies the need to properly educate players on proper lifestyle trends that would compliment their performance.
Competition is also another great factor that limits the overall performance of the USA rugby union. International rugby tournaments have observed the emergence of small but competitive teams across the globe. These teams include South Africa, Scotland and England. USA rugby union has therefore had to up its efforts in order to compete effectively. The union has therefore had to source effective coaches, invest highly in local rugby initiatives and also source for more funding
The union is also grappling with a strong command of other sporting alternatives in the country. The union would be better placed if it enhanced rugby as a fun activity but other sports such as American football already have a foot-hold in the youth. It would therefore be difficult for the union to realize adequate participation. Negative influence from the community also affects the uptake of the union’s initiatives in that, a good section of the population gets discouraged from stereotypes existing in the community. The portrayal of rugby as a male sport for example would affect female participation.
Cure
Competitive Advantage
In light of the challenges prevailing, the union could incorporate a number of competitive advantages including sourcing for the best coaches through high remuneration from the club. The union could use poaching as a tool to get the best coaches in the market. When coaches are remunerated highly, they would maintain the union, thereby leading to low chances of transfers to other unions. The best players could also be sourced through this method.
Integration would also be a good strategy to help the union become stronger, in light of increasing competition. Integration of the activities between men and women teams would be beneficial in pitting the union as superior to others. The union should also seek to get more funding from corporate sponsors by aligning their activities with the corporations’. Through improved sponsorships, the union would be able to finance its grass root initiatives. With strengthened grass root footing, the union would enjoy long-term sustenance of activities (Willing, 2000).
Strategies
The union should undertake to host rugby challenges around the country in a bid to enhance the sport. The USA rugby together with other rugby organizations should promote various rugby events that could be replicated around the country to promote the sport. The union should also try to market the sport through online means through initiatives that give first timers a chance to try out the game. The rugby union should also undertake efforts to sensitize youth rugby coaches in duplicating the efforts of the union at grass root level.
The USA Rugby Union should also undertake efforts in monitoring and evaluation of the team’s performance to enable it perform well in international tournaments. Exemplary performance would go a long way in increasing the power of rugby in the Nation. However determining the measure of performance and evaluation standards is not a clear task. It would also be easier to manipulate training dosages than carrying out monitoring and evaluation. It would however be beneficial for the Rugby union to carry out effective training and performance programs to help athletes achieve their peak performance (Skinner, 2005).
Funding is also necessary to carry out effective training programs and development initiatives. Getting adequate sponsorship from corporate bodies is however not an easy task considering stringent requirements the union has to reach for proper sponsorship. The union should seek more corporate partnership through a give and take strategy. The union should gain in financial sponsorship and the corporate bodies to gain in advertising of their products or services. This would go a long way in carrying out effective training programs and proper remuneration of athletes. Programs aimed at entrenching the sports at grass root levels also require enough financial support for effectiveness. Sponsorship however depends on performance of the union and in turn, it will mount pressure on proper monitoring and evaluation programs to enhance performance. The success at grass root entrenching programs would also aid in improved performance which will in turn lead to proper sponsorships.
Conclusions
Rugby in the United States is played at levels including high school, International, professional and semi professional. The union should embark on efforts to entrench the sports at grass root levels to secure the continuity and expansion of rugby in national platforms. These efforts would however require the union to formulate proper strategies that can propel the organization into realizing these objectives. These strategies will have to be backed by proper financial support from corporate sponsors. The best way the union could use to secure this financing would be to ensure constant exemplary performance. However more partnerships should be enhanced to increase the level of participation at all levels of the community. Integration of activities between male and female factions would also help to improve the overall standing of the sport in the community. It would also seek to reflect the un-divided support the union has received from the community regardless of gender.
These efforts don’t however go without challenges because the union would have to deal with social stereotypes like rugby being a male dominated sport. Such perceptions limit the participation of females in the sport. However, participation is also limited by other factors such as age of the players but the union could overcome this through entrenching the sport at grass root levels. Players’ lifestyles also affect the overall performance of the teams but the organization could use effective programs to educate players in running their lives in a way that compliments their performance in the sport. If the USA Rugby Union observes these factors, the level of rugby participation would be improved and a subsequent escalation of the sport in the national limelight will be witnessed.
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