Professionalism versus amateurism in grass-roots sport: Associated funding needs

Abstract

Considerations of professionalization within sport are typically limited to the commercialization processes that generate the funding regimes and impact the expenditure patterns of professional sports teams. By contrast, using historical data, this paper analyses how professionalism and the professionalization of elite rugby has impacted the amateur game, in general, and challenged the core values of amateurism and the associated funding needed for the amateur/grass-roots game, in particular. It compares funding and expenditure patterns in amateur sports clubs for a particular sport-rugby football union, aka rugby. This paper utilizes a case study analysis of amateur clubs in the Wellington Rugby Football Union, a provincial union of the New Zealand Rugby Union. It finds that professionalism is exhibited in the amateur game both as a top-down phenomenon and a bottom-up phenomenon as new actors have entered the institutional field. The study also notes that whilst such changes were gradual, the costs of these changes are now outpacing clubs' ability to fund them.

The constitution of profession in a sociological sense: An example of sports management

“…The basis of the entrepreneurial approach is the focus on the type and level of sport involved, accompanied by the consideration of both audiences' interest and the physical and mental abilities of athletes. In the light of that, it is pivotal to strike a balance between economic, social and human needs (Cordery, Davies, 2016).…”

The disparate roles of accounting in an amateur sports organisation

“…While many ASOs have sought to benefit from these changing institutional characteristics by transitioning from amateurism to professionalism (Rika et al, 2016), a few have sought to vigorously defend their amateur status [1]. A misconception exists that a commitment to amateurism prohibits ASOs from embracing any aspect of professionalism (Cordery and Davies, 2016;Slack, 1999, 2003). Amateurism revolves around the idea of sport as a recreational pursuit and typically sees ASOs promote social goals over commercial ones (Allison, 2001;Horne et al, 2005;Malcolm et al, 2000).…”

“…However, ASOs are similar to professional sports organisations in that they actively embrace commercialism and professionalism, albeit in a more selective and controlled manner. For example, ASOs can embrace professionalism through processes of professionalisation, which strive to improve governance structures, provide better training and medical facilities, offer personal development guidance for players and coaches, enhance spectator facilities, develop initiatives to engender balanced competition and enhance talent identification systems (Cordery and Davies, 2016). In fact, as aspects of professionalisation often attract greater commercial opportunities, embracing these opportunities plays a central role in ensuring ASOs can continue to deliver on their social mission.…”

“…ASOs are likely to face challenges given the nature of their operations requires them to selectively draw on aspects of commercialisation and professionalisation to support their social mission (Cordery and Davies, 2016). By drawing on the institutional logics literature, we seek to better understand how ASOs manage the competing demands co-existing logics place on their operations.…”

“…Specifically, members believed that the benefits of increased funding to support Gaelic Games were outweighed by the placing of games in the All-Ireland Hurling and Football Championships behind a PPV barrier. The fact that the GAA reported record distributions in the years following the deal was not sufficient to resolve tensions among members, who believed they were witnessing the erosion of the GAA's traditional organising principles (Cordery and Davies, 2016).…”