Investigating the Social Impacts of Sports Clubs

The role and impact that sports clubs have on a community and an individual have become a new trend for geographical and sociological research due to the recent health fads and other benefits that they are seen to have. Although there has not been much research on this topic especially not in the UK or in relation to rugby there are enough examples to prove that sport and particularly team sports such as rugby do aid development on multiple levels within society. Sports clubs are now creating programmes that are specifically aimed at helping their local community by reducing crime rates or generating social cohesion. These programmes are particularly beneficial for young people as they will aid their social development in the hope that they will prevent them from making poor life choices in the future as well as giving them something constructive to do in their leisure time. This book will aim to fill the gap that previous research has missed and analyse the interrelationship between sports club and the surrounding community and consequently the impacts that they have on it.