The Profile of the Rugby Coach for M12, M13, M14 in URBA

Abstract

This study aims to characterize the current profile of youth rugby coaches who worked during the 2023 season in the Buenos Aires Rugby Union (URBA), specifically in the Under-12, Under-13, and Under-14 categories. These categories represent the final stage before entering youth rugby and mark the beginning of the players' specialized technical training process (Casajús y Perasso, 2019; Casajús y Salluzzi, 2022).

To collect data, an anonymous self-administered survey was conducted among coaches from the 91 clubs affiliated with URBA that were active in the mentioned categories during the study period. The instrument used included both closed and open-ended questions, designed to explore demographic and sociocultural dimensions (age, gender, educational level, language proficiency, among others), background and experience in rugby (playing history, levels of competition reached, training, and certifications obtained), as well as interests and willingness to participate in training programs.

The findings reveal a predominance of amateur coaches with university education but limited formal training in rugby. However, there is a high level of interest in training opportunities and a positive perception of training as a teaching tool. Additionally, significant differences were identified between volunteer coaches and those who receive financial compensation for their work.