Abstract
In recent years as the world has changed and nations have become more globalised, there has been a major impact on the commercialisation of society; this has resulted in an advancement in many industries including sport, in which there has been a change from amateurism to professionalism. This is evident in tertiary institutions with the introduction of Varsity Cup Rugby among South African universities. Through commercialisation, values of the players have shifted from traditional sporting values of participation to more commercialized sporting values such as winning at all costs, fame and fortune. The commercialisation of university sport has led to debates regarding its influence on sporting values of players. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of commercialisation of university sport on the sporting values of university rugby players. Through the use of a mixed method approach, data were collected qualitatively using semi-structured interviews and quantitatively through direct distribution questionnaire. Questionnaires were administered to coaches and players and interviews were conducted with coaches and managers of rugby as well as the Director of Sport and the commercial manager at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). The current study has provided the basis for further discussion on the topic. The findings of the study suggest that the commercialisation of sport at university level does not erode traditional sporting values or significantly result in negative values. On the contrary, it creates the opportunity for career development in rugby, for earning potential through playing sport and the opportunity to experience the professional side of sport. The results propose that traditional sporting values are still evident in all levels of rugby within UJ, but due to the commercialisation of rugby, values such as money and career progression are evident but not significant enough to take the forefront completely. The results of this research can be used to further understand the reasons why players participate in Varsity Cup rugby and to provide their coaches with an understanding of whether players are intrinsically or extrinsically motivated in rugby by this form of competition.