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Psychosocial Characteristics of the World’s Best Male Rugby Union Players

Alexandra Turner, Ross Roberts, James Hardy, James Bell, James Bickley, Andrew Rogers, Don Barrell, Camilla Knight

Journal of Expertise, Volume: 7, Issue: 4

Swansea University Author: Camilla Knight

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Abstract

In this study we investigated the psychosocial factors underpinning success and development in rugby union. Using a purposeful sampling strategy, we recruited five former world’s best international male rugby union players and conducted in-depth retrospective interviews with them and their nominated...

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Published in: Journal of Expertise
ISSN: 2573-2773
Published: 2024
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68438
first_indexed 2024-12-03T13:48:31Z
last_indexed 2025-01-31T20:26:43Z
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spelling 2025-01-31T15:16:52.4568226 v2 68438 2024-12-03 Psychosocial Characteristics of the World’s Best Male Rugby Union Players 6c81176f7e92c7c04ff6cfb8f1a0ed60 Camilla Knight Camilla Knight true false 2024-12-03 In this study we investigated the psychosocial factors underpinning success and development in rugby union. Using a purposeful sampling strategy, we recruited five former world’s best international male rugby union players and conducted in-depth retrospective interviews with them and their nominated coaches. Abductive thematic analysis revealed commonalities, as well as differences, across the participants. Encountering adversity during childhood that was coupled with a positive sport experience and career turning point, obsessiveness, perfectionism and narcissism, a dual mastery and outcome focus, placing great emphasis on the importance of sport, a need for success, and an ability to perform under pressure, were perceived to be important to the development of excellence in rugby. Dichotomous thinking, self and team focus, and avoidant attachment strategies were also found to be commonalities among participants. Drawing the results together, two distinct personality profiles appeared to emerge, both seemingly complemented by avoidant attachment strategies. Findings suggest that encountering adversity, particularly disruptions to parental relationships, and the realization of self-protective attachment strategies, coupled with a positive sport related event, may facilitate the drive and development of the necessary personality traits and behaviors to achieve excellence in rugby. Therefore, understanding the role of attachment in the development of excellence in sport, alongside a greater awareness of the nuanced differences in personality profiles which underpin similar high-performance behaviors has considerable benefit not only for research, but also for enhancing the delivery of applied psychology practice in sport. Journal Article Journal of Expertise 7 4 2573-2773 talent, psychological factors, personality, attachment, excellence 31 12 2024 2024-12-31 https://www.journalofexpertise.org/articles/volume7_issue4/ COLLEGE NANME COLLEGE CODE Swansea University None 2025-01-31T15:16:52.4568226 2024-12-03T09:45:50.4931593 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Sport and Exercise Sciences Alexandra Turner 1 Ross Roberts 2 James Hardy 3 James Bell 4 James Bickley 5 Andrew Rogers 6 Don Barrell 7 Camilla Knight 8 68438__33469__c7888918acaa4239b8393b50b48b8ff8.pdf 68438.VoR.pdf 2025-01-31T15:14:43.7226301 Output 506328 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2024. The authors license this article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
title Psychosocial Characteristics of the World’s Best Male Rugby Union Players
spellingShingle Psychosocial Characteristics of the World’s Best Male Rugby Union Players
Camilla Knight
title_short Psychosocial Characteristics of the World’s Best Male Rugby Union Players
title_full Psychosocial Characteristics of the World’s Best Male Rugby Union Players
title_fullStr Psychosocial Characteristics of the World’s Best Male Rugby Union Players
title_full_unstemmed Psychosocial Characteristics of the World’s Best Male Rugby Union Players
title_sort Psychosocial Characteristics of the World’s Best Male Rugby Union Players
author_id_str_mv 6c81176f7e92c7c04ff6cfb8f1a0ed60
author_id_fullname_str_mv 6c81176f7e92c7c04ff6cfb8f1a0ed60_***_Camilla Knight
author Camilla Knight
author2 Alexandra Turner
Ross Roberts
James Hardy
James Bell
James Bickley
Andrew Rogers
Don Barrell
Camilla Knight
format Journal article
container_title Journal of Expertise
container_volume 7
container_issue 4
publishDate 2024
institution Swansea University
issn 2573-2773
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Sport and Exercise Sciences{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Sport and Exercise Sciences
url https://www.journalofexpertise.org/articles/volume7_issue4/
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description In this study we investigated the psychosocial factors underpinning success and development in rugby union. Using a purposeful sampling strategy, we recruited five former world’s best international male rugby union players and conducted in-depth retrospective interviews with them and their nominated coaches. Abductive thematic analysis revealed commonalities, as well as differences, across the participants. Encountering adversity during childhood that was coupled with a positive sport experience and career turning point, obsessiveness, perfectionism and narcissism, a dual mastery and outcome focus, placing great emphasis on the importance of sport, a need for success, and an ability to perform under pressure, were perceived to be important to the development of excellence in rugby. Dichotomous thinking, self and team focus, and avoidant attachment strategies were also found to be commonalities among participants. Drawing the results together, two distinct personality profiles appeared to emerge, both seemingly complemented by avoidant attachment strategies. Findings suggest that encountering adversity, particularly disruptions to parental relationships, and the realization of self-protective attachment strategies, coupled with a positive sport related event, may facilitate the drive and development of the necessary personality traits and behaviors to achieve excellence in rugby. Therefore, understanding the role of attachment in the development of excellence in sport, alongside a greater awareness of the nuanced differences in personality profiles which underpin similar high-performance behaviors has considerable benefit not only for research, but also for enhancing the delivery of applied psychology practice in sport.
published_date 2024-12-31T05:24:18Z
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