Abstract:  Elite soccer in combination with education is a unique and demanding task. The path towards a glory career in sports takes hard mental and physical training. The objectives in this study are 6 elite focused high school students studying high school education programs in combination with football profile. They are 3 of each gender. The purpose of the study was to find out more about their perspective of motivation and what makes them keep going towards a career in football in beside their education. The study is of empiric hermeneutic survey used qualitative method and interviewing to collect data. The results have shown several patterns and similarities, also differences. They all see motivation as a mental force. They appreciate the social factors from parents through support and commitment in their football. Several of them found their interests in football through their parent’s interest in football. They are motivated by development and promotion in divisions. They are all experiencing a need of having fun towards their elite focused career.

Chinese elitism and neoliberalism were the fundamental mechanisms that governed and shaped Hong Kong during the British colonial rule. These mechanisms, however, remains not only active 15 years after the handover of Hong Kong to People's Republic of China in 1997 – their domination has been heightened, particularly in the domain of the city's cultural policy making. This dissertation examines the key issues concerning the development of Hong Kong's post-colonial cultural policy under the frameworks of a renewed Chinese elitism and neoliberalism, to find out what kind of cultural policy does Hong Kong need and what cultural future is lying ahead of Hong Kong. / published_or_final_version / Literary and Cultural Studies / Master / Master of Arts

Syftet med studien är att undersöka elitidrottande ungdomars självkänsla. Studien omfattar totalt 80 elever från fem olika riksidrottsgymnasium i Sverige. Undersökningen är en kvantitativ studie som genomfördes med en validerad enkät, Self-esteem scale. Resultatet från Self-esteem scale visar att elitidrottande ungdomar har god självkänsla men att det finns en skillnad mellan elitidrottande flickor och elitidrottande pojkar. Undersökningen visar ingen skillnad i självkänsla när det kommer till deltagande i individuell idrott eller lagidrott, dock visar resultatet att flickor inom lagidrott har sämre självkänsla än flickor inom individuell idrott. I resultatet går det inte att urskilja någon skillnad i självkänsla i förhållande till träningsmängd / There is not so much research on psychological problems in elite sport, however during recent years several debates about elite sport and if it is in fact only healthy benefits and what is considered right and wrong for young people's health. The purpose of this study is to investigate young elite athletes self-esteem. The study includes a total of 80 students from five different national sports college in Sweden. The study is a quantitative study made by a validated questionnaire, Self-Esteem Scale. Results from Self-Esteem Scale shows that elite young athletes have good self-esteem but that there is a difference between young elite athletes girls and young elite athletes boys. The study shows no difference in self-esteem when it comes to participation in individual sports or team sports, however, the results show that girls in team sports have lower self-esteem than girls in individual sports. In the result you can not discern any difference in self-esteem in relation to the amount of training.

This report examines all the occurrences of the atrium in Latin literature and the context for each occasion. It begins with an overview of the etymology of atrium and the development of the atrium-house plan then analyzes the use of the word atrium in terms of theories of spatial conception. The results are that the atrium as a cognitive model is restricted to an upper class, elite mindset and that the space appears to be more multifunctional in nature than is usually thought. / text

The Geographical Information System (GIS) is a popular tool among landscape plannersas well as administration departments on both local as well as national level. It is asystem that can store and manipulate spatial data and its potential has increased ascomputers have grown to be more and more sophisticated. However the system is notwithout its controversy. Maps and geographical information has been accused of helpinggovernment maintaining its power thus leading to increased surveillance in society. As arespond to this critique Public Participatory Geographical Information System (PPGIS)was developed. PPGIS quickly grew and has been implemented in a wide variety ofprojects. The purpose of this paper is to explore to what extent these aspect plays a partin the implementation of GIS and PPGIS in Babati, Tanzania. More specifically, couldBabati handle a complex and resource demanding system such as GIS? To clarify howGIS could play a beneficial part in Babati development, a high rate in population growthas well as department clashes will be illustrating examples. In Babati there have beenrepeatedly conflicts between the water department and the Babati town council and someof them are directly related to communication issues. A hypothesis suggests that GIS haspotential in creating cohesion and a communication tool operating through geographicaldata. In generally results show that GIS could lead to better development, but at the sametime risk alienating people from participating in the decision making. Consequently ifGIS would be effective in Babati, it would have to be adapted to the region it is appliedto, funded on the towns’ resources and knowledge. If it does not it risks failing in thelong term as well as not living up to expected standard. PPGIS could possibly avoid someof the issues that might appear when implementing GIS but it is unlikely that it has all theanswers. PPGIS can improve the situation for marginalized people but a societyundemocratic issue is more likely to stem from several of different aspects.

Aim The study had the aim to increase knowledge of characteristics possessed by Swedish elite athletes. More specific the level of affect, athlete engagement and reaction time were investigated. A second aim was to test if a reflective training log based on principles from self-regulation could influence these variables.   Questions part one: Baseline What are the level of affect, athlete engagement and reaction time in a sample of Swedish elite athletes? How strong are the correlations between these variables? Questions part two: Intervention Does a self-regulation training log effect athlete engagement, affect or reaction time in Swedish elite athletes? Is there a difference if the reflections are based on either personal strengths or weaknesses? How do the athletes perceive the use of a self-regulation training log? Method/Experiment design The general outline is a randomized controlled trial on a population of Swedish elite athletes using a baseline measurement and an intervention consisting of two experiments (EG1; EG2) and one placebo group (PG). Eligibility criteria for participants were a membership in Sport Campus Sweden (SCS). The data were collected in the participants own home or current location using correspondence by mail/e-mail and a web-based test platform provided by Hogrefe psykologiförlag. A simple 1:1:1 randomization was used for allocation. Only previously tested and validated measurements were used (PANAS; AEQ; CompACT simple RT). 40 athletes performed the baseline registration of reaction time and 32 persons participated in the measurements of affect and athlete engagement. 23 athletes completed all stages of the one month intervention including pre and post-tests. EG1 (reflections on personal weaknesses) N=6; EG2 (reflections on personal strengths) N=8; PG (writing down time spent by watching TV or by the computer as a placebo) N=9.   Result Part 1 showed that Swedish elite athletes outperformed 91 % of a normative sample in reaction time. They were also more stable than 87 % of the norm. Correlation analysis show a strong significant correlation between positive affect and athlete engagement (0.74) (p=0.00). In Part 2 the training log intervention showed no significant results in affect, athlete engagement or reaction time. There were no differences if the reflections were based on personal strengths or weaknesses. In general the athletes perceived the self-regulation training log as rewarding and easy to use.   Conclusions Swedish elite athletes have a superior reaction time compared to a normative sample and are also more stable in their reactions. They experience a high level of positive affect and athlete engagement and these variables are also strongly correlated. A self-regulation training log did not show any results on affect, athlete engagement or reaction time. The training log got positive feedback. Consequences of these findings are discussed. / Syfte Studien har som syfte att utöka kunskapen om specifika egenskaper som svenska elitidrottare besitter. Mer detaljerat undersöks affekt, engagemang och reaktionstid. Vidare är syftet att undersöka om dessa variabler kan påverkas genom att skriva i en självreglerings- och reflektionsinriktad träningsdagbok.   Frågeställningar Del 1: Baslinjeundersökning Var ligger nivån gällande affek, idrottsligt engagemang och reaktionstid hos svenska elitidrottare? Hur starka är korrelationerna mellan dessa variabler? Del 2: Intervention: skriva i en reflektionsinriktad träningsdagbok Kan en träningsdagbok baserad på självreglering påverka affekt, idrottsligt engagemang och reaktionstid hos svenska elitidrottare? Är det skillnader om reflektionerna är baserade på personliga styrkor eller svagheter? Hur upplever elitidrottarna användandet av träningsdagboken? Metod Metoden är en randomiserad kontrollerad experimentell fältstudie på en population av svenska elitidrottare. Studien består av en baslinjeregistrering och en intervention under en månad med två experimentgrupper (EG1;EG2) och en placebogrupp (PG). Urvalskriterium var ett medlemskap i Sport Campus Sweden (SCS). Deltagarna genomförde tester i sitt eget hem eller på sin dåvarande position via brev/mail samt en webbaserad testplattform som tillhandahölls av Hogrefe psykologiförlag. En enkel 1:1:1 randomisering genomfördes. Enbart tidigare validerade frågeformulär samt mätutrustning användes (PANAS; AEQ; CompACT simple RT). 40 deltagare genomförde baslinjeregistreringen av data gällande reaktionstid och 32 deltagare genomförde den första mätningen av affekt och idrottsligt engagemang. Efter avslutad intervention hade 23 deltagare genomfört samtliga för -och eftertest. EG1 (reflektion på svagheter) N=6; EG2 (reflektion på styrkor) N= 8; PG (placebo genom att skriva ner tv-tittande och tid framför datorn) N=9.   Resultat Del 1 visade att elitidrottarna hade en kortare reaktionstid än 91 % av ett normativt snitt av befolkningen i samma åldersgrupp. De var även mer stabila i sina reaktioner än 87 % av normen. En stark och statistisk signifikant korrelation återfanns mellan positiv affekt och idrottsligt engagemang (0.74 )(p=0.00). Del 2 visade att interventionen med en reflekterande träningsdagbok inte gav några signifikanta resultat oavsett om interventionen var baserad på reflektioner gällande personliga styrkor eller svagheter. Idrottarna upplevde generellt träningsdagboken som givande och enkel att använda.   Slutsats Svenska elitidrottare har en överlägsen reaktionstid jämfört med en normalbefolkningsnorm. De är även mer stabila i sina reaktioner samt upplever en hög nivå av positiv affekt och idrottsligt engagemang. Dessa variabler var även starkt signifikant korrelerade.  Träningsdagboken hade ingen signifikant påverkan på upplevelsen av affekt och idrottsligt engagemang eller idrottarnas reaktionstid. Träningsdokumentationen upplevdes i allmänhet som givande. Konsekvenser av dessa resultat diskuteras

Rugby union is a popular sport played in more than a 100 countries worldwide. In South Africa rugby is a major sport c0mpare.d to other playing countries such as Australia, England, France, Ireland and Scotland where it is only thud, fourth or fifth most popular sport (SARFU: 2003d:ll) Rugby consists of various activities that require certain anthropometrical, physical and motor and rugby-specific components. These components are specific to the positional requirements in rugby (Craven, 1974; De Ridder, 1993; Noakes & Du Plessis, 1996; Malan & Hanekom, 2001; Van Gent, 2003). Du Randt and Headley (1993:112) stated that the process of talent identification in South Africa was uncontrolled and in the beginning phase. Since then scientific research on talent identification of youth rugby players in South Africa has been done by De Ridder (1993), Pienaar and Spamer (1995,1998), Hare (1997) and Van Gent (2003) to name a few. Research has been done regarding positional requirements (Van Gent, 2003) in the adolescent rugby player. However, little is known about the elite schoolboy rugby player in South Africa and internationally. In 1995, the National Sports Council of South Africa compiled a policy, highlighting the need and importance of a scientific identification and development programme of talented sportspeople (South Africa, 1996). Eight years after the national policy was compiled, the South African Rugby Football Union (SARFU) launched a major new player identification and development strategy (SARFU, 2003d:15). In 2003, SARFU identified the U/16 age group schoolboys as the first level of talent identification thus the focus should be on South African schools in particular, because this is the breeding ground for elite sportsmen and women. The U/16 and U/18 players are chosen to represent their provinces at a national rugby week. The U/16 and U/18 rugby players chosen at the end of the national rugby week (Grant Khomo U/16 week and the U/18 Craven Week for High Schools) are named the Green Squad and consists of a 100 top players from both the U/16 and U/18 groups (SARFU, 2003b:2). This study is the start of a new phase of research on the elite youth rugby player. The significance of this study is the compilation of a profile of the U/16 and U/18 elite rugby player, with reference to anthropometrical variables, physical and motor abilities and game-specific skills which will serve as a guide to the school and provincial coaches on team selection and individual training programmes. A further contribution is that this research will support SARFU in the process of identifying and developing youth rugby players. Furthermore, this study will also form part of an international research profile on talent identification of elite youth rugby players as well as the development in school sport. The aim of this study was to compile a status profile of the U/16 and U/18 elite rugby player in South Africa with reference to anthropometrical variables, physical and motor abilities and game specific skills as well as a status profile for different playing positions of the U/16 and U/18 elite rugby player in South Africa. The literature review emphasises the value of sport education and physical education in schools as well as the growth and motor development of the adolescent. According to Dick (1992:125) the adolescent period is the best time for the athlete to develop physical and motor abilities. Physical and sport education in schools offers the adolescent the opportunity to develop certain skills be it physical, motor, emotional or mental skills. In South Africa many talented and less talented adolescents have the opportunities to participate in sport due to player development programmes in various sports. Not only does physical and sport education aid to improve health related and skill-related fitness but also aids in talent detection and talent identification programmes. It is also important to fully understand the adolescent's growth and motor development as these variables have an influence on sporting performance. The literature review also discusses talent identification models that have evolved over the past decades as well as talent identification in youth sport and youth rugby development in South Africa. Salmela and Regnier (1983) stated that talent identification is a long process in which potential sportspeople are identified and developed in a specific kind of sport. Assessments of talent identification programmes should be done regularly to get the best value for a country's sporting achievement as well as an individual's future sporting performance. This could help researchers to adapt regularly to the physical profile of youth rugby players and help to establish norms that can be used to identify and develop elite youth sportspeople. The empirical study (chapter 4) explains the different measurements and tests that were done with the Green Squad players. The research group consisted of U/16 (n = 93) and U/18 (n = 97) elite South African schoolboy rugby players, also known as the Green Squad of SARFU. The players of the Green Squad represented all 14 provinces of South Africa. Each player was tested in August 2003 and February 2004 according to a rugby test protocol of SARFU. The test protocol consisted of anthropometrical variables; body height, body mass, body fat percentage, muscle percentage, skin fold thickness and somatotype. The game-specific skill components that were used included ground skills, kicking for distance, passing for distance, passing for accuracy 4 m and catching and throwing over the crossbar. Physical and motor components consisted of bench press, pull ups, push ups, speed over 10 m and 40 m, agility Illinois test and speed endurance. Descriptive statistics (x, standard deviation, minimum and maximum) were used as well as practical significant differences (d-values) (Cohen, 1988). The method of principal components analysis (PCA) and correlations was used to determine best player position of the Green Squad 2003/2004 season (Bartholomew et al. 2002). The SAS-computer programme package of the North-West University, Potchefstroom campus (SAS Institute Inc., 1999) was used for data analysis. By means of the results that were obtained, it was indicated that as far as the anthropometrical variables among the Ul16 Green Squad players were concerned differences were found between the Green Squad group and U/16 rugby players of other studies. The U/l6 Green Squad players also reported practical significant differences with regard to anthropometrical components from 2003 to 2004. The results of the anthropometrical data of the U/18 Green Squad players compared favourably to literature. Although the U/18 Green Squad group improved from 2003 to 2004 in terms of anthropometrical components, low practical significance was recorded. In terms of physical and motor, the U/16 Green Squad players presented more improvements from 2003 to 2004 than the U/18 Green Squad players that could be due to growth and training programmes that were followed. However, the U/18 Green Squad players presented a better performance than the U/18 players in literature that could also be due to conditioning and training programmes that were followed. With regard to game skill components the U/16 and U/18 Green Squad rugby players possessed better game-specific skills in most tests than their counterparts in literature. Differences between national and provincial youth rugby players were recorded with regard to anthropometrical, physical and motor and game-specific components, thus the importance of further studies on the elite schoolboy rugby players, are evident. Practical significant differences were found between different playing positions in both age groups with reference to anthropometrical, physical and motor and game-specific components. It can be derived that differences do exist between playing positions with regard to' anthropometrical, physical and motor and game-specific components and that it is necessary to include the components in a player position test battery. To summarise, this study succeeded to compile a status profile of the elite youth rugby player with reference to physical and game-specific variables. This test battery can be used in positional talent identification and development models for elite schoolboy rugby players. School and provincial coaches can use this test battery as a guide on team selection and individual training programmes. It adds an enormous amount of knowledge on talent identification of youth elite rugby players. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Le 8 mars 1963, un coup d’État en Syrie permet à une secte minoritaire marginalisée au sein du parti Baas, à idéologie radicale et révolutionnaire, de s’emparer des rênes de l’État avec l’appui des militaires et de conserver le pouvoir depuis. Ainsi la Syrie, premier pays arabe à connaître le système pluraliste parlementaire dès 1919, sera soumise à un régime militaire et autoritaire pendant presque un demi siècle. Ce mémoire vise à expliquer comment cette faction, groupusculaire à l’origine, a su profiter des circonstances et des fenêtres d’opportunité politique ouvertes par les comportements de l’élite traditionnelle syrienne, au pouvoir depuis le Mandat français, s’étant trouvée affaiblie, isolée et illégitime aux yeux de la population. Cette fragmentation exprimée par des agitations internes, avait provoqué des décisions contradictoires, des conflits d’intérêts ainsi que des divisions de nature identitaire, générationnelle, sociale, économique, militaire et politique. La Syrie a de ce fait, depuis son indépendance en 1941, été victime du jeu de son élite, un jeu dont ce mémoire est consacré à étudier la dynamique. Cette étude, qui définit le concept de l’élite théoriquement, s’appuie sur l’état des liens entre élites, l’envergure et les modes de leur circulation, pour confirmer qu’une élite fragmentée s’affaibli, perd sa légitimité et mène la société à l’instabilité. Ceci soutien l’hypothèse centrale de l’étude que la fragmentation de l’élite syrienne traditionnelle a ouvert des fenêtres d’opportunité politique devant le parti Baas, minoritaire et radical, qui a su les saisir pour conquérir le pouvoir. / On March 8, 1963, a coup in Syria allows a marginalized minority sect, of radical and revolutionary ideologies within the Baath Party, to conquer the reins of State with military support; and to stay in power ever since. Thus, Syria -the first Arab country to experience the pluralist parliamentary system since 1919, will be subject to a military and authoritarian regime for almost half a century. This thesis aims to explain how this minority faction took advantage of the circumstances and the windows of political opportunity that have opened because of the weakness of the traditional elite in power since the French mandate, due to its fragmentation that led to its isolation and illegitimacy in the eyes of people. This fragmentation manifested by internal unrests, has resulted in contradicting decisions, conflicts of interests and division of nature in identity, generational, social, economical, military and political aspects –all at once. Hence, since its independence in 1941, Syria was a victim of its elites’ game -a game this thesis is devoted to study its dynamics. The study that defines the concept of elite theory, while focusing on the state of relation between the elites and the extent and patterns of their circulation, in order to confirm that a weakened fragmented elite, loses its legitimacy and leads the society to instability. This supports the main hypothesis of the study that the fragmentation of traditional Syrian elite has opened windows of opportunities that the Baath Party, a radical minority, was able to seize power through.

This thesis synthesizes theoretical and methodological insights of actor-network theory with the political economy of communication in order to trace the history of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, 2005-2009. The purpose is to demonstrate how a power elite of transnational corporate actants are increasingly structuring transnational border policy, encouraging the deployment of ubiquitous surveillance technology and the liberalization of transborder data flows and markets, primarily for the purposes of maximizing capital accumulation, ideological legitimation and the suppression of resistance. This hybridization of state and corporate actants exemplifies how prosperity partnerships and other similar informal working groups are increasingly being used as powerful vehicles for mobilizing the private sector into influencing border policies throughout North America, effectively creating powerful socio-technical scenarios for influencing global markets. The argument advanced is that borders are increasingly becoming topological spaces which unevenly distributed objects and people across various networks and flows, in turn re-shaping urban landscapes towards private interests. As such, topological prosperity entails configuring networked infrastructures and spaces such as borders and airports in ways which favour particular socio-economic groups, primarily an ascending global economic elite. / Thesis (Master, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2011-08-28 15:18:47.858

Rugby union is a popular sport played in more than a 100 countries worldwide. In South Africa rugby is a major sport c0mpare.d to other playing countries such as Australia, England, France, Ireland and Scotland where it is only thud, fourth or fifth most popular sport (SARFU: 2003d:ll) Rugby consists of various activities that require certain anthropometrical, physical and motor and rugby-specific components. These components are specific to the positional requirements in rugby (Craven, 1974; De Ridder, 1993; Noakes & Du Plessis, 1996; Malan & Hanekom, 2001; Van Gent, 2003). Du Randt and Headley (1993:112) stated that the process of talent identification in South Africa was uncontrolled and in the beginning phase. Since then scientific research on talent identification of youth rugby players in South Africa has been done by De Ridder (1993), Pienaar and Spamer (1995,1998), Hare (1997) and Van Gent (2003) to name a few. Research has been done regarding positional requirements (Van Gent, 2003) in the adolescent rugby player. However, little is known about the elite schoolboy rugby player in South Africa and internationally. In 1995, the National Sports Council of South Africa compiled a policy, highlighting the need and importance of a scientific identification and development programme of talented sportspeople (South Africa, 1996). Eight years after the national policy was compiled, the South African Rugby Football Union (SARFU) launched a major new player identification and development strategy (SARFU, 2003d:15). In 2003, SARFU identified the U/16 age group schoolboys as the first level of talent identification thus the focus should be on South African schools in particular, because this is the breeding ground for elite sportsmen and women. The U/16 and U/18 players are chosen to represent their provinces at a national rugby week. The U/16 and U/18 rugby players chosen at the end of the national rugby week (Grant Khomo U/16 week and the U/18 Craven Week for High Schools) are named the Green Squad and consists of a 100 top players from both the U/16 and U/18 groups (SARFU, 2003b:2). This study is the start of a new phase of research on the elite youth rugby player. The significance of this study is the compilation of a profile of the U/16 and U/18 elite rugby player, with reference to anthropometrical variables, physical and motor abilities and game-specific skills which will serve as a guide to the school and provincial coaches on team selection and individual training programmes. A further contribution is that this research will support SARFU in the process of identifying and developing youth rugby players. Furthermore, this study will also form part of an international research profile on talent identification of elite youth rugby players as well as the development in school sport. The aim of this study was to compile a status profile of the U/16 and U/18 elite rugby player in South Africa with reference to anthropometrical variables, physical and motor abilities and game specific skills as well as a status profile for different playing positions of the U/16 and U/18 elite rugby player in South Africa. The literature review emphasises the value of sport education and physical education in schools as well as the growth and motor development of the adolescent. According to Dick (1992:125) the adolescent period is the best time for the athlete to develop physical and motor abilities. Physical and sport education in schools offers the adolescent the opportunity to develop certain skills be it physical, motor, emotional or mental skills. In South Africa many talented and less talented adolescents have the opportunities to participate in sport due to player development programmes in various sports. Not only does physical and sport education aid to improve health related and skill-related fitness but also aids in talent detection and talent identification programmes. It is also important to fully understand the adolescent's growth and motor development as these variables have an influence on sporting performance. The literature review also discusses talent identification models that have evolved over the past decades as well as talent identification in youth sport and youth rugby development in South Africa. Salmela and Regnier (1983) stated that talent identification is a long process in which potential sportspeople are identified and developed in a specific kind of sport. Assessments of talent identification programmes should be done regularly to get the best value for a country's sporting achievement as well as an individual's future sporting performance. This could help researchers to adapt regularly to the physical profile of youth rugby players and help to establish norms that can be used to identify and develop elite youth sportspeople. The empirical study (chapter 4) explains the different measurements and tests that were done with the Green Squad players. The research group consisted of U/16 (n = 93) and U/18 (n = 97) elite South African schoolboy rugby players, also known as the Green Squad of SARFU. The players of the Green Squad represented all 14 provinces of South Africa. Each player was tested in August 2003 and February 2004 according to a rugby test protocol of SARFU. The test protocol consisted of anthropometrical variables; body height, body mass, body fat percentage, muscle percentage, skin fold thickness and somatotype. The game-specific skill components that were used included ground skills, kicking for distance, passing for distance, passing for accuracy 4 m and catching and throwing over the crossbar. Physical and motor components consisted of bench press, pull ups, push ups, speed over 10 m and 40 m, agility Illinois test and speed endurance. Descriptive statistics (x, standard deviation, minimum and maximum) were used as well as practical significant differences (d-values) (Cohen, 1988). The method of principal components analysis (PCA) and correlations was used to determine best player position of the Green Squad 2003/2004 season (Bartholomew et al. 2002). The SAS-computer programme package of the North-West University, Potchefstroom campus (SAS Institute Inc., 1999) was used for data analysis. By means of the results that were obtained, it was indicated that as far as the anthropometrical variables among the Ul16 Green Squad players were concerned differences were found between the Green Squad group and U/16 rugby players of other studies. The U/l6 Green Squad players also reported practical significant differences with regard to anthropometrical components from 2003 to 2004. The results of the anthropometrical data of the U/18 Green Squad players compared favourably to literature. Although the U/18 Green Squad group improved from 2003 to 2004 in terms of anthropometrical components, low practical significance was recorded. In terms of physical and motor, the U/16 Green Squad players presented more improvements from 2003 to 2004 than the U/18 Green Squad players that could be due to growth and training programmes that were followed. However, the U/18 Green Squad players presented a better performance than the U/18 players in literature that could also be due to conditioning and training programmes that were followed. With regard to game skill components the U/16 and U/18 Green Squad rugby players possessed better game-specific skills in most tests than their counterparts in literature. Differences between national and provincial youth rugby players were recorded with regard to anthropometrical, physical and motor and game-specific components, thus the importance of further studies on the elite schoolboy rugby players, are evident. Practical significant differences were found between different playing positions in both age groups with reference to anthropometrical, physical and motor and game-specific components. It can be derived that differences do exist between playing positions with regard to' anthropometrical, physical and motor and game-specific components and that it is necessary to include the components in a player position test battery. To summarise, this study succeeded to compile a status profile of the elite youth rugby player with reference to physical and game-specific variables. This test battery can be used in positional talent identification and development models for elite schoolboy rugby players. School and provincial coaches can use this test battery as a guide on team selection and individual training programmes. It adds an enormous amount of knowledge on talent identification of youth elite rugby players. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.