Any Given Saturday: Competitive balance in elite English rugby

Williams, PJ

Abstract

Competitive balance (CB) is a key consideration for those who administer professional sports leagues. This paper examines CB in elite rugby union in England since leagues were formed in 1987. Using a range of established and sport-specific metrics, results indicate that levels of CB have been broadly responsive to a combination of externally imposed and internally generated developments in rugby’s competitive environment. The implications for policy-makers suggest that, while rugby union compares well, competitively, with other English professional team sports, reconciling the need to manage for a viable domestic league, while accommodating the aspirations of its strongest clubs, is likely to be problematic in the longer term.

Citation

Williams, P. (2012). Any Given Saturday: Competitive balance in elite English rugby. Managing Leisure, 17(2/3), 88-105. https://doi.org/10.1080/13606719.2012.674388

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2012
• Deposit Date: Dec 5, 2012
• Journal: Managing Leisure
• Print ISSN: 1360-6719
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 2/3
• Pages: 88-105
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13606719.2012.674388
• Keywords: Competetive balance,Rugby union,Uoh,Management of competitive sports
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13606719.2012.674388