Identification of the Attributes Used by Coaches to Select Professional Rugby Union Players

This study identified expert coaches’ views of the attributes necessary for the selection of potential professional Rugby Union players. It was an attempt to make explicit, coaches’ implicit knowledge. An interpretivist approach was adopted to identify the views that coaches possessed regarding the attributes and characteristics that successful Rugby Union players must develop. Unstructured interviews elicited detailed information from six UK Premiership academy coaches in two Premiership rugby clubs. The availability and exclusivity of these coaches lead to a convenience sampling process being adopted. Thematic analysis revealed 10 themes ; dependability, coping with the training environment, quality of preparation, distractibility, ability to be coached, social skills, and intensity of effort physical development, sources of players, families. Identifying the characteristics that coaches deem necessary to succeed could raise the standard of players entering the system and produce better players, more efficiently, at the end of the academy system.

本研究旨在探明资深英式橄榄球联盟（Rugby Union）教练对于选拔潜在职业英式橄榄球联盟运动员所需具备特质的看法，以期将教练的隐性知识予以显性化。本研究采用解释主义研究范式，旨在探明教练群体所认可的、成功英式橄榄球联盟运动员所需培养的特质与特征。研究对两家英国橄榄球超级联赛（UK Premiership）俱乐部的6名青训学院教练开展非结构化访谈，获取了详细的研究数据。鉴于这些教练的可参与性与专属身份，本研究采用了便利抽样法。通过主题分析，共提炼出10大核心主题：可信赖度、应对训练环境的能力、备战质量、易分心特质、接受指导的能力、社交能力、努力强度、身体素质发展、球员来源与家庭因素。明确教练所认定的运动员成才所需具备的特质，可提升进入该青训体系的球员整体水准，并能在青训学院体系结业时更高效地培养出更优秀的运动员。