In essence, aspects of sports marketing can be viewed as a special case of marketing a brand. The brand-related marketing activities of rugby teams should therefore first focus on building awareness of the rugby team's brand. Branding is a new phenomenon in rugby, a sport that has recently become professional and commercialised in South Africa. Despite the importance of brands and consumer perceptions of brands, rugby unions in South Africa have not used a consistent definition or measurement technique to assess spectators' perceptions of rugby brands. If some understanding of spectators' perceptions of brands could be developed, rugby unions in South Africa might be able to determine the brand equity of their sports teams. The determination of brand equity defines what an organisation may be willing to invest in a brand, based on some type of expected return. Brand equity is a set of variables linked to a brand's name and symbol that adds to or subtracts from the value provided by a product or service to a organisation and/or that organisation's customers and can be grouped into four categories, namely brand awareness, brand associations, brand loyalty and perceived quality. By ascertaining spectators' awareness, the associations they make regarding the brands, as well as brand loyalty and perceived quality of the respective brands of the provincial, regional and national rugby teams of South Africa, the brand equity of these teams could be determined. The aim of this study was, therefore, to determine spectators' awareness of, their associations with, their loyalty to and their perceived quality of the respective brands of the provincial, regional and national rugby teams of South Africa so that the brand equity of these teams could be established. In this study it was found that the Stormers' brand had the highest brand awareness, but that the Springbok brand had the highest brand equity. / Business Management / D.COM (Business Management)

This study presents indicates the education, sport, and extra-curricular activities that football players participated in from 1930 to 1938.

Thesis (MScSportSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: With the introduction of professionalism in 1995, rugby union has rapidly and continuously changed. One such change was the introduction of several law changes after the 2007 Rugby World Cup to increase the appeal, continuity and safety of the game. Research on the effects of these law changes has primarily focused on the technical and tactical aspects of the game and very little on the changes to the physical profile of match play, particularly in a South African context. The first objective of this study was to compare the 2007 and 2013 seasons of the South African Currie Cup tournament in order to determine whether there were any effects as a result of the law changes on the scoring, time interval, general skills and contact profiles. The second objective was to compare the 2007 and 2013 seasons of the South African Currie Cup tournament in order to determine the impact of the law changes on the time variables. This thesis will follow a research article format. Research article one will address the first objective of the study. The first major finding of the study was that the profile of the game has changed to a more physical and continuous game. There was an increase in the number of player actions (passing, tackling and rucks/mauls) (p < 0.01), as well as significantly more penalty goals (p < 0.01). The results further revealed that fewer tries were scored (p = 0.07), while the number of stoppages to the game, scrums and line-outs also showed a decrease (p < 0.01). These findings, mentioned above, were more prominent in the second half of the match. A trend revealed that teams were adopting a more defensive playing style, whereby they sacrificed committing numbers to the breakdowns and rather commit players on defence. This has created a more physically intense match with fewer tries being scored. The second research article will address the second objective of the study. Results of the study show that the profile of the game has changed to a more dynamic, continuous game with less time spent in rucks/mauls and fewer set pieces (scrums and line-outs). The duration of the match has increased owing to an increase in total stoppage time, mainly as a result of greater use being made of the TMO. This is evident in the significant increase in total match time (p < 0.01) and total stoppage time (p < 0.01), while the total ball-in-play time was significantly less (p < 0.01). The total tackle time has increased significantly (p < 0.01), while the total ruck/maul, scrum and line-out time decreased significantly (p < 0.01). By analysing the match profile, as with this thesis, coaches and trainers will be better informed to develop training programmes that are specific to the demands of modern match play. Based on the results, coaches and trainers should develop individual and team performance profiles to better understand the physical demands experienced by the players and teams, which will assist in implementing more specific recovery strategies and planning of training loads. The conditioning and skills development of players should focus primarily on contact situations (tackling and rucking) by adding contact elements to agility training and skill-based drills. With the various contact times measured, trainers can determine specific durations of muscle tension needed to overload and strengthen players by adjusting the movements of an exercise. These applications will allow coaches and trainers to prepare players for the specific demands of the modern game. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sedert die begin van professionalisme in rugby in 1995 het die spel vinnig en aanhoudend verander. Een van hierdie veranderinge was die instelling van verskeie reëlveranderings ná die 2007 Rugby Wêreldbekertoernooi om die aantreklikheid, kontinuïteit en veiligheid van die spel te verhoog. Navorsing wat die uitwerking van hierdie reëlveranderings ondersoek het, het veral gefokus op die tegniese en taktiese aspekte van die spel en baie min op die veranderinge in die fisieke profiel van wedstrydspel, veral in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Die eerste doelwit van die studie was om die 2007 en 2013 seisoen van die Suid-Afrikaanse Curriebekertoernooi te vergelyk om te bepaal wat die uitwerking van die reëlveranderings op die aanteken van punte, tydsinterval, algemene vaardighede en kontakprofiele was. Die tweede doelwit was om die 2007 en 2013 seisoen van die Suid-Afrikaanse Curriebekertoernooi te vergelyk om die impak van die reëlveranderings op tydveranderlikes te bepaal. Hierdie tesis is saamgestel volgens ‘n artikelgebaseerde formaat. Navorsingsartikel een spreek die eerste doelwit van die studie aan. Die eerste hoofbevinding van die studie was dat die spel verander het na ‘n meer fisieke, aaneenlopende tipe spel, met ‘n toename in speler-aksies (aangeë, laagvatte, losskrums en losgemale) en ‘n afname in die aantal kere wat die spel gestop het, veral in die tweede helfte. Daar was ‘n toename in die aantal speler-aksies (aangeë, laagvatte, losskrums en losgemale) (p < 0.01), sowel as beduidend meer strafskoppe (p < 0.01). Resultate het verder gewys dat minder drieë gedruk is (p = 0.07), terwyl die aantal kere wat die spel gestop het, en skrums en lynstane ook verminder het (p < 0.01). Die bevindings soos hierbo uiteengesit, was meer prominent in die tweede helfte van ‘n wedstryd. Daar was ‘n neiging dat spanne ‘n meer verdedigende speelstyl aangeneem het, waar hulle verkies het om spelers op verdedigend te plaas as om meer spelers by die afbreekpunte te hê. Dit het ‘n wedstryd geskep wat fisiek meer intens was met minder drieë wat gedruk is. Die tweede navorsingsartikel het die tweede doelwit van die studie aangespreek. Resultate van die studie het aangedui dat die profiel van die spel verander het na ‘n meer dinamiese, aaneenlopende spel met ‘n afname in die tyd wat aan losskrums/losgemale bestee word, met minder vaste spel (skrums en lynstane). Die duur van die wedstryd het toegeneem as gevolg van ‘n toename in die totale stoptyd, veral as gevolg van die gebruik van die TMO. Dit blyk uit die beduidende toename in totale wedstrydtyd (p < 0.01) en totale stoptyd (p < 0.01), terwyl die totale tyd wat die bal in spel was, betekenisvol afgeneem het (p < 0.01). Die totale laagvattyd het beduidend toegeneem (p < 0.01), terwyl die totale losskrum-/losgemaal-, skrum- en lynstaantyd betekenisvol afgeneem het (p < 0.01). Deur die wedstrydprofiel te ontleed, kan afrigters hul oefenprogram aanpas om aan die spesifieke vereistes van wedstrydspel te voldoen. Afrigters behoort profiele van individuele en spanprestasie te ontwikkel wat op die resultate gegrond is ten einde ‘n beter begrip te verkry van die fisieke eise waaraan die spelers en spanne onderwerp word. Dit sal help met die implementering van spesieke herstelstrategieë en die beplanning van oefenladings. Die kondisionering en vaardigheidsontwikkeling van spelers behoort hoofsaaklik toegespits te word op kontaksituasies (laagvatte en losskrums) deur kontakelemente by ratsheids- en vaardigheidsoefeninge te voeg. Deur die meting van die verskillende kontaktye kan afrigters die spesifieke duur van spierspanning bepaal wat nodig is om spelers sterker te maak, en die bewegings van ‘n oefening daarvolgens aanpas. Hierdie toepassings sal afrigters in staat stel om spelers vir die bepaalde eise van die moderne spel voor te berei.

Sport, and particularly soccer, is becoming increasingly professionalised and thus commercialised. Soccer has managed to uphold notable economic growth globally. As affirmation of this growth, both the South African and sport industry experienced tremendous attention and interest during the period 2000 to 2012. Thus, the need for soccer to become formalised, coupled with the increased need for professional management and the implementation of business principles has created an appetite for proper planning and coordination. As a result, strategic planning is becoming indispensable to sport organisations. Organisations that use strategic planning are regarded as being relatively productive, profitable and making better use resources. Large amounts of money are often invested in soccer clubs which renders them prone to huge financial risks if due strategic planning processes and governance structures and processes are not in place. Against this background, this study explored the strategic planning processes of South African Football Association soccer clubs which are at the grassroots level, as these processes inform strategic decision making and growth prospects. A qualitative data collection process in the form of semi-structured interviews was used. A total of 13 club managers (from 12 soccer clubs-two were from one club) participated in the study. Atlas.ti software was used to deductively analyse the data. The findings suggest that the soccer clubs struggle to separate strategic issues from other operational and technical matters, and that soccer clubs generally have low levels of knowledge on strategic planning processes and tools. Recommendations are made to SAFA, government and the private sector to assist grassroots soccer clubs with funding, management training programmes and partnership initiatives. Some of the pressing recommendations are that soccer clubs need to receive education and training in the areas of business management, particularly in the area of strategic management and governance. This can be further accompanied by business coaching and mentoring programmes to ensure that the soccer clubs can be run as professional establishments. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)