Influence Of Socio-Cultural Environment On Talent Identification For Rugby Players In Rugby Clubs In Kenya

Abstract

The role of the socio-cultural environment on talent identification for sports has been a topical issue among sports researchers for decades. The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of the socio-cultural environment on talent identification for male rugby clubs in Kenya with regard to how the players are recruited to join the clubs. More specifically the roles played by families, peers, coaches, schools, and club infrastructure were examined. A descriptive survey research design was used for the study to establish the roles. A total sample of n=95 rugby players and n=15 coaches drawn from the 76 rugby clubs registered with the Kenya Rugby Union and participating in the 2016-2017 league competition, took part in the study and were obtained through stratified sampling, quota sampling and simple random sampling. The data for this study were collected using questionnaires for the players and interview schedules for the coaches. A test-re-test technique was used to test reliability. The data collected were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The Chi- square test was used to test all the hypotheses at 0.05 significant levels. Findings indicate that the role of peers with a P value of 0.556 was found to have significant relationship on talent identification for rugby clubs in Kenya. However the familial influence (P value =0.4778), role of coaches (P value=0.285), players’ secondary school rugby playing experience (P value = 0.379) and club infrastructure (P value = 0.341) had no significant relationship with talent identification for rugby clubs in Kenya. From the study findings, it is recommended that that peering in rugby needs to be strengthened through clubs. This can be done by encouraging players to bring along their rugby playing friends during training and match days to enable them to integrate and associate with the club. There is also need to look at ways of engaging parents and ensuring that they are incorporated in the talent identification process while club rugby coaches should be encouraged and facilitated to attend the school rugby competitions from the grassroots to national levels through a formal partnership between the clubs and K.S.S.S.A. There is however need to diversify and also use other means of talent identification to capture players who might not have attended secondary schools or whose schools do not participate in the K.S.S.S.A rugby competitions. The study also recommended the use of intramurals like inter house or inter class competitions in a bid to capture players who might have not played for the school teams but have the potential to play and excel at club rugby and the provision and use of appropriate facilities..Other studies involving physiological, anthropometric and psychological attributes of talent identification that could lead to the establishment of an all inclusive talent identification model were recommended by the study. Finally a study involving female rugby players was recommended as it would elicit some aspects of gender differences that may impact on the talent identification process which were not addressed by this study