Abstract
M.A.
South Africans are known for their love of sports and rugby is one of the most
popular sports in the country. Due to this nationwide love of rugby children are often
exposed to the game from a very young age. However, children’s participation in
competitive rugby is a complex matter. It is unclear whether children participate in
rugby for the simple love of the game or because of the competitive culture that is
dominant within South Africa. Numerous studies have expressed concerns about
children’s participation in rugby due to the physical risks, the psychological stress
that accompanies competitive sports, the emphasis on winning (pressure to perform)
and the resultant disappointment of losing. Research has also demonstrated that
elevated anxiety levels are an integral part of competitive sport participation and
impact physiological and psychological behavioural responses. However, previous
research has not focused on anxiety in relation to competitive sport participation in
the South African context or on the impact that participation in competitive rugby has
on children in South Africa. This study thus aimed to investigate the anxiety
experienced by high school rugby players and determine the extent to which their
involvement in competitive rugby contributes to this anxiety.
A within-and-between, quasi-experimental design study was conducted to address
this primary aim. Twenty (20) children participated in the study; 10 of the
participants played high school rugby, while the remaining 10 participants were not
involved in any sport.