Motivation analysis in rugby A systematic review
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Rugby is a sport that requires a high combination of physical and mental abilities, so athletes' motivation is a key factor in improving performance and sustainability participation. This systematic review examines a range of studies that address motivation in rugby from both intrinsic and extrinsic perspectives, as well as how social and cultural contexts affect player motivation. The studies analysed included aspects of athlete leadership, social identity, inspiring communication, emotional intelligence training, and barriers and facilitators in the implementation of injury prevention programs. The findings show that strong motivation, effective leadership, team solidarity, and social environment support play a positive role in improving rugby athletes' long-term performance and engagement. Recommendations are given for the development of training programs and motivation management strategies that take into account psychological, social, and structural dimensions so that performance development can run sustainably.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Each author warrants that his or her submission to the Work is original and that he or she has full power to enter into this agreement. Neither this Work nor a similar work has been published elsewhere in any language nor shall be submitted for publication elsewhere while under consideration by Journal of Human Sport and Exercise (JHSE). Each author also accepts that the JHSE will not be held legally responsible for any claims of compensation.
Authors wishing to include figures or text passages that have already been published elsewhere are required to obtain permission from the copyright holder(s) and to include evidence that such permission has been granted when submitting their papers. Any material received without such evidence will be assumed to originate from the authors.
Please include at the end of the acknowledgements a declaration that the experiments comply with the current laws of the country in which they were performed. The editors reserve the right to reject manuscripts that do not comply with the abovementioned requirements. The author(s) will be held responsible for false statements or failure to fulfill the above-mentioned requirements.
This title is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
You are free to:
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material.
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
-
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
-
NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
-
ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
- You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation.
- No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
How to Cite
References
Ajlouni, A. O., AlKasasbeh, W. J., Al-Shara'h, A., & Ibrahim, A. (2023). The Impact of Mobile Application-Assisted Instruction on Intrinsic Motivation and Sports Nutrition Knowledge: The Case of Blended Learning. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 18(11). https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v18i11.38637
Almagro, B. J., Sáenz-López, P., Fierro-Suero, S., & Conde, C. (2020). Perceived performance, intrinsic motivation and adherence in athletes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(24). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17249441
Baker, G. R., Steele Gray, C., Shaw, J., Denis, J.-L., Breton, M., & Carswell, P. (2016). Navigating the Challenges of Building Integrated Care Models: Findings from the iCoach Project. International Journal of Integrated Care, 16(6). https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.2923
Bandhu, D., Mohan, M. M., Nittala, N. A. P., Jadhav, P., Bhadauria, A., & Saxena, K. K. (2024). Theories of motivation: A comprehensive analysis of human behavior drivers. In Acta Psychologica (Vol. 244). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104177
Barden, C., Watkins, R., Stokes, K. A., & McKay, C. D. (2022). Barriers and facilitators to implementing the Activate injury prevention exercise programme - A qualitative study of schoolboy rugby coaches. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 17(6), 1317-1330. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541221115021
Behnke, M., Tomczak, M., Kaczmarek, L. D., Komar, M., & Gracz, J. (2019). The Sport Mental Training Questionnaire: Development and Validation. Current Psychology, 38(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-017-9629-1
Berg, M. E., & Karlsen, J. T. (2020). Coaching leadership style: a learning process. International Journal of Knowledge and Learning, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.1504/IJKL.2020.10033158
Bloom, G. A., Stevens, D. E., & Wickwire, T. L. (2003). Expert coaches' perceptions of team building. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 15(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200305397
Branchu, C. (2023). The "Social Side": Rugby Culture, Reflexivity and the Space of Women's Rugby. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16791-1_6
Campo, M., Champely, S., Louvet, B., Rosnet, E., Ferrand, C., Pauketat, J. V. T., & Mackie, D. M. (2019). Group-Based Emotions: Evidence for Emotion-Performance Relationships in Team Sports. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 90(1), 54-63. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2018.1563274
Campo, M., Laborde, S., & Mosley, E. (n.d.). Emotional intelligence training in sports: The influence of a season long intervention program on trait emotional intelligence Running head: EI training.
Chapron, J., & Morgan, K. (2020). Action research within an elite rugby union coaching group to influence change in coach learning and pedagogic practice. Sports Coaching Review, 9(3), 296-320. https://doi.org/10.1080/21640629.2019.1670931
Cheng, E. (Hui P., Pegg, S., & Stebbins, R. (2016). Old bodies, young hearts: a qualitative exploration of the engagement of older male amateur rugby union players in Taiwan. Leisure Studies, 35(5), 549-563. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2015.1031270
Chiwaridzo, M., Ferguson, G., & Smits-Engelsman, B. C. M. (2019). High-school adolescents' motivation to rugby participation and selection criteria for inclusion in school rugby teams: Coaches' perspective (the SCRuM project). BMC Research Notes, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-019-4138-y
Davis, L., Jowett, S., & Tafvelin, S. (2019). Communication strategies: The fuel for quality coach-athlete relationships and athlete satisfaction. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(SEP). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02156
Diamond, M. J. (2006). Masculinity unraveled: The roots of male gender identity and the shifting of male ego ideals throughout life. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 54(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/00030651060540040601
Durand-Bush, N., Baker, J., van den Berg, F., Richard, V., & Bloom, G. A. (2023). The Gold Medal Profile for Sport Psychology (GMP-SP). Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 35(4). https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2022.2055224
Fan, F., Chen, J., Chen, Y., Li, B., Guo, L., Shi, Y., Yang, F., Yang, Q., Yang, L., Ding, C., & Shi, H. (2023). How relationship-maintenance strategies influence athlete burnout: Mediating roles of coach-athlete relationship and basic psychological needs satisfaction. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1104143
Fioravanti, F., Delbianco, F., & Tohmé, F. (2023). The relative importance of ability, luck and motivation in team sports: a Bayesian model of performance in the English Rugby Premiership. Statistical Methods and Applications, 32(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10260-022-00677-8
Fransen, K., Haslam, S. A., Mallett, C. J., Steffens, N. K., Peters, K., & Boen, F. (2017). Is perceived athlete leadership quality related to team effectiveness? A comparison of three professional sports teams. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 20(8), 800-806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2016.11.024
Jin, H., Kim, S., Love, A., Jin, Y., & Zhao, J. (2022). Effects of leadership style on coach-athlete relationship, athletes' motivations, and athlete satisfaction. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1012953
Johnson, C., & Peters, R. J. (2014). Lack of enjoyment reduces the motivation to succeed in sport. In Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (Vol. 13, Issue 2).
Keegan, R. J., Spray, C. M., Harwood, C. G., & Lavallee, D. (2014). A qualitative investigation of the motivational climate in elite sport. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2013.10.006
Kerr, A. (2015). The physiological demands of tennis and how to train them: a case study of a sub elite female tennis player. Journal of Australian Strength and Conditioning, 23(1).
Kingsman, J. (2023). Negotiating masculine identities: Adolescent boys' experiences of a school-based rites of passage program and its potential for gender transformation. International Journal of Educational Research, 122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2023.102257
Kopp, A., Reichert, M., & Jekauc, D. (2021). Trait and ability emotional intelligence and its impact on sports performance of athletes. Sports, 9(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9050060
Koutrou, N., & Downward, P. (2016). Event and club volunteer potential: the case of women's rugby in England. International Journal of Sport Policy, 8(2), 207-230. https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2015.1102756
Larkin, P., Barkell, J., & O'Connor, D. (2022). The Practice Environment-How Coaches May Promote Athlete Learning. In Frontiers in Sports and Active Living (Vol. 4). https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2022.957086
Malkin, M., Morgan, P., Yan, J., & Eather, N. (2025). The impact of coaching practices on player outcomes in rugby union: A systematic review. Journal of Sports Sciences, 43(14), 1279-1299. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2025.2486864
Mellalieu, S. D. (2017). Sport psychology consulting in professional rugby union in the United Kingdom. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/21520704.2017.1299061
Morris, L. S., Grehl, M. M., Rutter, S. B., Mehta, M., & Westwater, M. L. (2022). On what motivates us: A detailed review of intrinsic v. extrinsic motivation. In Psychological Medicine (Vol. 52, Issue 10). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291722001611
Neely, A. R., Lengnick-Hall, M. L., & Evans, M. D. (2022). A process model of volunteer motivation. Human Resource Management Review, 32(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2021.100879
Paul, L., Naughton, M., Jones, B., Davidow, D., Patel, A., Lambert, M., & Hendricks, S. (2022). Quantifying Collision Frequency and Intensity in Rugby Union and Rugby Sevens: A Systematic Review. In Sports Medicine - Open (Vol. 8, Issue 1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-021-00398-4
Pelletier, L. G., Tuson, K. M., Fortier, M. S., Vallerand, R. J., Briére, N. M., & Blais, M. R. (2016). Toward a New Measure of Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation, and Amotivation in Sports: The Sport Motivation Scale (SMS). Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.17.1.35
Pope, J. P., Hall, C. R., & Tobin, D. (2014). How Do Coaches Identify With Their Role as a Coach? Exploring Coach Identity Through a Role Identity Theory Lens. Identity, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/15283488.2014.897951
Pope, J., & Wilson, P. (2012). Understanding motivational processes in university rugby players: A preliminary test of the hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation at the contextual level. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1260/1747-9541.7.1.89
Reinebo, G., Alfonsson, S., Jansson-Fröjmark, M., Rozental, A., & Lundgren, T. (2024). Effects of Psychological Interventions to Enhance Athletic Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. In Sports Medicine (Vol. 54, Issue 2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01931-z
Sandars, J., Jenkins, L., Church, H., Patel, R., Rumbold, J., Maden, M., Patel, M., Henshaw, K., & Brown, J. (2022). Applying sport psychology in health professions education: A systematic review of performance mental skills training. Medical Teacher, 44(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2021.1966403
Sato, T., Nalbandian, M., & Takeda, M. (2023). Physical Fitness Tests as Predictors of High-Intensity Running Performance in Rugby. Sports, 11(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/sports11080156
Scotto di Luzio, S., Martinent, G., Guillet-Descas, E., & Daigle, M. P. (2020). Exploring the Role of Sport Sense of Community in Perceived Athlete Burnout, Sport Motivation, and Engagement. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 32(5). https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2019.1575298
Simons, E. E., & Bird, M. D. (2023). Coach-athlete relationship, social support, and sport-related psychological well-being in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I student-athletes. Journal for the Study of Sports and Athletes in Education, 17(3). https://doi.org/10.1080/19357397.2022.2060703
Sly, N., Soomro, M., Withall, A. L., Cullen, P., Turner, R. M., & Flahive, S. R. (2022). Players', parents' and staffs' perceptions of injury prevention exercise programmes in youth rugby union. BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2021-001271
Smith, M. J., Figgins, S. G., Jewiss, M., & Kearney, P. E. (2018). Investigating inspirational leader communication in an elite team sport context. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 13(2), 213-224. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747954117727684
Southby, K., South, J., & Bagnall, A. M. (2019). A Rapid Review of Barriers to Volunteering for Potentially Disadvantaged Groups and Implications for Health Inequalities. Voluntas, 30(5). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-019-00119-2
Xue, H., Luo, Y., Luan, Y., & Wang, N. (2022). A meta-analysis of leadership and intrinsic motivation: Examining relative importance and moderators. In Frontiers in Psychology (Vol. 13). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.941161
Zainuddin, M. S. S. bin, Mazalan, N. S., Kamaruzaman, F. M., Lian, D. K. C., Munsif Wan Pa, W. A., & Nazarudin, M. N. (2023). The Impact of Social Factors and Environment on Athlete Motivation and Performance in Sports. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v12-i3/18335