Fans’ multiple points of attachment and their influence on attendance in rugby matches

Abstract

Rugby is one of South Africa’s big three sports, alongside soccer and cricket. For many South African fans, rugby is a medium that provides entertainment, cultural identity and a sense of belonging to a particular sport. One of the main appeals for watching competitive sport events is the distinctive nature of competition. Unlike the predictable form of leisure behaviour, sport events embody an experience in which outcomes are unknown prior to the commencement of the event. The purpose of the study was to identify specific points (objects) of attachment that influence fan attendance. The secondary purpose of the study was to use the scale items to examine the relationship between the identified factors on fan attendance. The two measures of fan attendance namely, frequency of attendance and length of time being a fan used in the study were obtained from previous studies. Completed questionnaires were obtained from respondents (N=180) from a provincial based team in Gauteng. The data was analysed using exploratory factor analysis, independent sample t-tests and regression analysis. In addition, rugby fans were categorised into die-hard, submissive and care free casuals or theatre-goers. A priori determination of five points of attachment, namely attachment to a team,
player, sport, coach and level of sport attachment were used to examine the relationship of the points of attachment through regression models. Attachment to rugby as a sport in general appeared to significantly predict fan attendance. Implications for future research are outlined.

Key words: Fan attachment; Fan attendance; Rugby; Social identity